First Varsity Race

*2022 ACA Race #2 - Snowflake AZ - Dane, Keegan, and River*

The AZ Cycling Association (ACA) Season has started. The first race was at Fort Tuthill in Flagstaff, and the second race was a few days ago at the Secret Trails in Snowflake, AZ. I will recap how the season went for me once it’s complete in early November. However, this last race was my first time racing with the Varsity boys, and I feel it’s worth a post since I felt pressure to perform and had a lot of nervousness with anticipation.

To bring people up to speed, the ACA placed me in the JV1 category; because of my success as a freshman, I skipped JV2. The first race of the season at Fort Tuthill went well. I won the JV1 category by a large margin. Because the Varsity boys raced the same course, I could compare my lap times against theirs and felt I could be competitive racing against them. I discussed upgrading with my family and coach because the ACA was concerned about a young sophomore racing with the upperclassmen. Ultimately, the upgrade was approved, and I was now a varsity racer.

I like to be as prepared as possible. Snowflake was a new venue, so I scouted out the course the weekend before the race, even though it’s 2.5 hours away from Sedona. The course was fun but different from our typical tracks. Usually, we do large loops that take us away from the start/finish and then come back. The Snowflake course was 6 miles with tons of switchbacks in a tight little area. See map below. It has punchy uphills, sand, and rocks and is fast in some sections but technical in others. It has a little of everything, which is typically good for me.

On race day, I was nervous. I felt my fitness was good, but you never know how much faster the pace will be until you’ve experienced it a few times. The course started on a road but quickly turned into tight single track, it would be a dash to the front. Since I was new to the group, I started in the back. Once the start gun went off, I quickly got around most of the field and slid into 6th, entering the single track.

The pace was fast, but I was okay. I could see at the front that Keegan Field (the series leader) and Dane Begelow were starting to pull away. I knew I had to close the gap, or they would be gone forever. I passed fourth and third place with some big efforts. Once in third, I needed to recover, so I slowly bridged the gap between the two leaders. Once attached, I rode their wheels for most of the race.

Thinking about it now, I should have been scheming how to win the race. Instead, I felt satisfied riding along with the fastest Varsity boys. I will not make that mistake again.

At the start of the fourth and final lap, Keegan laid down some enormous power on the starting road. He pulled away from Dane, who was in second. I jumped from third to second to pull back Keegan, but he was too strong. I settled back down and rode the final lap with Dane. Near the finish, Dane attacked, and I couldn’t match his power.

I ended up in third, four minutes in front of fourth, so I was solidly on the podium. I feel that my training with my coach, Hannah Otto, is paying off. Keegan is super strong right now and seems unbeatable. I’ll keep working to reach the varsity top step. I’m thrilled to be with the fasted high school racers finally.

2022 ACA Season Recap

My Race Bike