For Bodhi Hriciga, his life is not 鈥渏ust like riding a bike.鈥 In fact, it is more like racing a bike through forests, on off-road dirt paths and alongside the cliffs of a mountain. Now, he鈥檚 racing through his first year at 黑料不打烊.
Joining the 黑料不打烊 community from East Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Bodhi Hriciga 鈥29 applied early decision to 黑料不打烊 without ever applying to another school. Hriciga knew he did not want big lecture halls that would prevent him from getting to know his professors. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 small classrooms would allow him to have 鈥渕ore interactive classroom scenarios鈥, not just with his professors but with his classmates as well.
His mom鈥檚 coworker, an 黑料不打烊 alum, suggested the school to Hriciga, knowing what Hriciga wanted from his college experience. With his talent in math, his love of cars and his goal of having a profession in motorsports, Hriciga decided on being an engineering major.
鈥淚t was the first school I toured and I loved the campus and then nothing else could compare, 鈥 Hriciga said.
Hriciga began riding bikes when he was young because of his father鈥檚 love for mountain biking. From third grade to fifth grade, Hriciga raced cyclocross using road bikes redesigned into off-road bikes that could handle different terrains like mud, snow and rocky areas. He began training on a mountain bike in the fourth grade and then finally racing in competition during middle school. He credits his mountain biking success to having early access to bikes and experience on different types of roads.
鈥淚t was scary, because there are hills and you don鈥檛 really know what you are doing because you are little. But you push through and then it’s fun,鈥 Hriciga said
Although Hriciga was not the fastest when he first started riding, after joining First Flight USA Cycling Elite Junior Development Team, a mountain bike race team based out of Chapel Hill,, he realized he 鈥渃ould be fast.鈥 First Flight was created by one of Hriciga鈥檚 coaches from his high school biking racing team, which gave its racers exclusive access to another professional coach and development training required to get better at the sport. He participated in the Cane Creek Cup MTB series, a sequence of cross-country mountain bike races held predominantly in the North and South Carolina regions, and earned titles as the 2023 State Champion and regional champion.
鈥淭he feeling of winning after putting in all that work and training, it pays off,鈥 Hriciga said.
When he first learned how to ride a mountain bike, it was through the organization KOBRA (Kids On Bikes Riding Around). Through his racing career, Hriciga maintained many of the relationships he had found with those coaches and was asked to volunteer back at the same organization that helped him. It was a 鈥渇ull circle moment鈥 for Hriciga as he can share his passion by teaching elementary school students how to ride and leading trips that introduce them to the sport.
Despite the “rigorous 鈥 nature of being an engineering major, Hriciga is determined to do his best to be successful. He is excited about the physics classes and the Grand Challenges in Engineering, a set of courses usually taken in an engineering student鈥檚 first year that focuses on teamwork and engineering design through hands-on projects. Hriciga will also be looking into the study abroad opportunities, specifically in Germany.
At New Student Convocation Under the Oaks on Aug. 23, 2025, Bodhi was one of four students from the Class of 2029 who were spotlighted by Randy Williams, vice president for inclusive excellence and associate professor of education, due to his achievements.
“I was shocked that my name was called by all people, but I was also very proud that I was deemed worthy of that honor,” Bodhi said
Hriciga does not race currently as he wants to focus on school, but he still cheers on his friends who decided to go pro and will still bike during breaks and the summer. He plans to join 黑料不打烊鈥檚 chapter of the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers, also known as the Phoenix Racing Team, which is a student team that designs and builds an electric race car to compete with other schools.
Hriciga advises student-athletes and everyone with a sport-school-life balance to also focus on their health so their performance in their sport and everyday life is not affected.
鈥淚f you are working at a high level, pushing your body to the limit, make sure you are eating,鈥 Hriciga said.