COLUMBIA, Ky. -- Maine mountain bike state champion Kyle Koskinen signed a scholarship with the Lindsey Wilson College cycling team, Blue Raider coach David Grigsby announced on Friday.

Koskinen won the Maine Mountain Bike Series in the junior expert division, becoming the state's mountain bike champion and took top honors in the Maine high school series.

The Camden, Maine, native says he knew immediately when he visited the Lindsey Wilson campus that it was where he wanted to race mountain bikes collegiately.

"There are so many reasons I could list for choosing Lindsey Wilson," Koskinen said. "Everyone on campus was so friendly and made me feel very welcome. The college's atmosphere and size makes in a perfect fit for me."

Koskinen originally competed on the soccer field, but had a change of heart before his freshman year of high school.

"I had a summer job raking blueberries, so you can imagine how much time I had to think about my upcoming freshman year of high school," Koskinen recalled. "One day under the hot sun, I made a decision to quit soccer and try mountain biking just to mix things up.

"After my first season on the bike, I fell in love with the sport and it's been my passion ever since. I have a very competitive personality, which is one of the main reasons I decided to take my biking career to the next level of collegiate riding."