Bend junior cyclists claim state championships
The Bend Endurance Academy’s Cyclocross Team finished their regular season over the weekend at the State Championship Cyclocross Race in Sandy, OR.
Three Bend Endurance Academy cyclists won their age group competitions: Hannah Mavis (17-18 JR Women), Henry Jones (15-16 JR Men) and Ryder Uetrecht (13-14 JR Men). Also on the podium with third-place results were Ian Brown (10-12 JR Men) and Tyler Lovejoy (13-14 JR Men).
In addition, several BEA riders were recognized for finishing on the podium for the overall points competitions in the Oregon Junior Cyclocross Series, which is the best four out of six races, with competitions held across the state in the fall.
With over 160 junior riders competing in the series, BEA had six riders on the podium. Ryder Uetrecht tied for first place in the 13-14 JR Men, Clavin Keane was right behind him in third. Nate Lelack finished third in the 15-16 JR Men, Ava Lilley was second in the 13-14 JR Women, Ivy Taylor was third in the 17-18 JR Women, and Hannah Mavis won the overall in the 15-16 JR Women.
In the very close team competition, Bend Endurance Academy was able to defend the series overall title by just two points over Eugene United.
“The series standings mean a lot to the team and to the riders because it’s a reflection of their effort over the whole season,” says Cycling Director Bill Warburton. “They learn from mistakes and they can have a bad race but they’re encouraged to come back to improve.”
With many of the events taking place outside of Bend, traveling can be hard for the juniors. Warburton explains that driving together as a team in the van is what makes it possible to participate.
“We ride several days a week together after school, then we take trips nearly every weekend, and by the end of the ten weeks the riders have learned so much about how to get along with each other, they make friends with kids on teams from Portland or Eugene, and we’re seeing juniors having as much fun at the events as the adults. That’s the big goal here — to really function as a team for the entire season and make friendships and learn skills that will carry forward forever. That’s why winning the team competition is special for us — it recognizes that effort we coaches put in, as well as being a reflection of them doing well in a sport they’re beginning to love.”
Now that the regular racing is over in the Northwest, several riders have set their sights on the National Championship coming up in January in Asheville, NC.
