It was another great mountain bike race weekend for the Sedona School Mountain Bike Club and the Mingus Mountain Bike Club.
Race four, at McDowell Mountain Park, was the last in the Arizona Cycling Association race series, which attracted around 1,200 riders. It was a crucial race for some riders, as they were attempting to qualify for a north conference meets south conference showdown at the state championship in two weeks.
The weekend started off with cooler temperatures and light rain on Saturday, leading to good trail conditions on Sunday. The middle school racers were first on the course. Eighth-grader Cormac Kincheloe took second place after his previous fifth-place finish in race three. Kasin Burke placed 17th and Miles Kinney rounded out the eighth-grade boys’ field in 28th place. Sixth-grader Jaxson Campbell placed 14th at McDowell, after placing 10th in race three. The high schoolers raced next, with freshman Greyson Stevens finishing in sixth place after fixing a flat tire on the course. In race three he had taken first place after barely missing the top spot during the first two races.
Fellow freshman Braxton Jochim-Malapanes sewed up a fifth-place finish after his previous fourth-place spot in race three.
In the Junior Varsity 1 category, Quincy Mabery moved up to eighth place after a previous finish in ninth place in the last race. Logan Jankowski held steady, keeping the sixth-place spot he secured in race three. Danae Dearden pulled down 15th among the girls for her first race of the season in the Junior Varsity 2 category. In his final season on the Sedona team, River Valdez continued to shine with a first-place varsity win.
Riders Kinsley Sanders, Bodhi Hayman, Riggin McDaniel, Vincent Pugliano, Noah Nelson, Addison Sanders, Talon Mandeville, Hayden Sanders and Dylan Keith were absent for this race, but all have been integral members of the team this season, as have our other non-racing club members.
The state championship is coming up on Nov. 2 and 3 at Fort Huachuca outside Sierra Vista, so the team will be working hard to bring home victories as we continue to pursue strong bodies, strong minds and strong character.
Eric Mace is the head coach of the Sedona Red Rock High School Mountain Bike Club.
