GLENWOOD SPRINGS – On the trails at the Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley campus on Saturday and Sunday, the Montezuma Composite mountain bike team competed with some of the premier high school riders in the state.
Racing in the Colorado High School Cycling League state championships Oct. 18-19, the group of riders from across Montezuma County showcased their skills against top competitors from across Colorado.
Montezuma Composite’s top finish came from freshman Orrin Kelley, whose 28th-place result in the ‘A’ wave of the freshman boys race put him within six minutes of the top spot. Kelley raced the opening lap in 27:41 and nearly duplicated that performance on the second circuit, closing out his first high school state appearance with a time of 55:40.
Starting in the ‘B’ wave of the boys varsity competition, Montezuma-Cortez senior Jaris McDonald closed out his high school cycling career with a 132nd-place finish. McDonald’s opening lap of 29:57 was his fastest of the three circuits. He crossed the finish line with a time of 1:40:52.
Sophomore Costner Hernandez raced in the ‘B’ wave of the boys sophomore division, posting an opening lap time of 32:34 and finishing with a cumulative time of 1:07:59 to place 142nd.
Freshman Macie McDonald took 66th in the girls freshman race, completing the 5.6-mile loop in 40:41 before finishing the 11.2-mile race in 1:23:15. Fellow freshman Jackson Mendoza competed in his first state appearance in the boys freshman race but did not finish.
Under the guidance of Executive Director Ed Whritner and Program Director Chase Wesley, High Desert DEVO offers youth riders opportunities to grow in the sport. The Montezuma Composite MTB team has thrived under their direction.
Learn more or get involved at www.highdesertdevo.org. Organizers hope this year’s state success marks another step forward for mountain biking in the Four Corners.
