For the riders in The Sedona Mountain Biking Club, the halfway point of the season is nearly upon us. The club, which includes 18 riders from grades 6 through 12, competes in Division 2 of the Arizona Interscholastic Cycling League.
The season opened on Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8 in challenging circumstances at Fort Tuthill in Flagstaff. In addition to dealing with Flagstaff’s high altitude, the conditions were dry and dusty. The course was 5.9 miles long with two rocky climbs and a fast singletrack. River Valdez was the first Sedona rider to cross the finish line and came in second in the seventh grade division. His older sister, Nyah Valdez, was the first of the Sedona girls to finish coming in fourth place in the JV2 division, right ahead of Quinn Franklin, who finished fifth. In the eighth grade boys division, Jackson Maddox came in eighth place.
Other strong finishes included Carter Pedersen, Leah Pedersen, Bronwyn Bosman, Skyrah Wilmer and Dakota Farrar. All finished in the top 20 in their respective classes. Following this performance, Sedona was in tenth place out of more than 50 Division 2 teams. Two weeks later, The Sedona Mountain Biking Club was competing again, this time in Prescott at Pioneer Park’s 5.75- mile course on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 22. The boys ran three loops while the girls ran two. Like they did in the first race, River Valdez, Nyah Valdez and Quinn Franklin all finished on the podium. Bosman improved her position from the previous race to finish in the top 10.
Maddox also logged a better finish, crossing sixth in his division. Farrar, Carter Pedersen and Cooper Barber all added top 20 finishes. The second race improved the team’s overall standing, as The Sedona Mountain Biking Club moved from tenth to seventh.
“We feel very fortunate with the group of kids we have this year,” assistant coach Andrea Valdez said. “They support each other like family. Head Coach Eric Mace does a fantastic job as a selfless leader, and the team follows especially the older high school athletes. Dakota Farrar, Quinn Franklin and Cooper Barber are always there to support the younger athletes. Camping at the races also provides a unique opportunity for the entire team, athletes, coaches and parents to bond. And, it’s super fun to get away and be outside for a whole weekend.”
The third event of the six-race season will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday Oct. 6 at Wren Arena in Fort Huachuca, near Arizona’s southern border. The progress of The Sedona Mountain Biking Club can be tracked at arizonamtb.org.
Michael Dixon can be reached at 282-7795 ext 131 or email to mdixon@larsonnewspapers.com
