Esther Grow, third from left, on the podium at the Arizona Cycling Association Race #3. Courtesy photo

Proud Los Alamos Mountain Bike Team members, from left, are James Tyldesley, Esther Grow, Adalee Witt and Colter Witt. Courtesy photo

Colter Witt, 8th Grader coming in to the finish. Courtesy photo

Adalee Witt, heading towards the finish line chute. Courtesy photo

James Tyldesley, mid-race. Courtesy photo

BY LAURA HEISCH AND
JIM TYLDESLEY
Los Alamos Mountain Bike Team

The Los Alamos Middle and High School Mountain Bike Team represented at Round # 3 of the Arizona Cycling Association’s interscholastic mountain bike race series held last weekend in Prescott, Arizona. 

The 6.2 mile race course loop consisted of fast, flowing, hard-pack single and double-track trails with roughly 425’ of climbing. Depending on category, racers completed one or more laps of the course. Although it rained lightly the night prior to the race, the course quickly dried out in the Arizona sun and developed a thin layer of slippery, loose dirt as the day progressed. 

Senior, Adalee Witt, Juniors, Esther Grow and James Tyldesley, 8th grader, Colter Witt all made a strong appearance at the race on Saturday, October 9. 

Esther Grow again made the podium with another impressive finish, this time advancing to 3rd place in the Girl’s Junior Varsity category amongst a competitive field of thirty racers. Despite washing out in multiple corners and arriving having left skin on the trail, Adalee Witt had a courageous finish maintaining her position in the front half of the field with a 14th place. 

James Tyldesley crashed in a sharp corner on the first lap but still managed to pass several riders to move into 11th position out of 32 riders in the Boys Junior Varsity Division. 

Colter Witt took advantage of the cooler morning conditions and finished smart amongst a huge field of 51 competitors in 8th Grade Middle School category. 

We are proud of our racers and their hard-working coaches to make this season a tremendous success. The next round of the Arizona Cycling Association race series will take place in White Tank Mountain Regional Park in Waddell, Arizona later this month.