Carbon Rides in St. George for State Championships *Photo Gallery*

By Mark Jespersen

With eight out of 16 eligible for the Utah Cycling League State Championships, Carbon MTB riders were hoping for clear skies, clean lines and fast times. The 7.4 mile course was very demanding with a combination of technical skill and long sections of endurance. It definitely tested the riders’ fortitude and skill while completing two laps as fast as they could.

The two-day event started on Friday with Carbon’s Freshman A rider, Andrew Loveless, taking on a field of 98 of Utah’s fastest riders. He finished with an impressive 16^th place. In addition, the JV-B group of riders, Spencer Tullis, Ryu West and Rusty Seeley, competed against 97 other riders. These riders finished in the middle of a tough group with very close times, about one minute apart, for 56^th, 65^th and 67^th, respectively.

Saturday included the JV-A riders taking on an even more challenging course, which added 1.1 miles for a total of 8.5. It is a very impressive feat how fast they ride over the two laps. It is close to an all out sprint for over 60 minutes.

Lindsey Jespersen started the day in her group of 142 riders. As a senior, this was her last competitive ride and she had one of her best outings, even though she didn’t get on the podium. Next up were Carbon’s three JV-A riders, Boyd Bradford, Joey Barlow and Nathan Engar. In a field of 203 riders, these kids really pushed themselves and represented Carbon well. Bradford took fifth place, while Barlow, another senior rider, had one of his best races to take 24^th place. In the end, Engar finished in 36^th.

It’s been a great season for our Carbon Composite MTB team. They’ve experienced individual success, team success and some wrecks, but through it all they have learned how awesome cycling can be.

We are sad to see our four seniors finish their season and time with the team racing. They have been great student athletes over the years and great examples of our community and their families. Keep riding, Joey Barlow, Rusty Seeley, Dylan Emerson and Lindsey Jespersen.

Carbon also had five new riders this year and we expect them and the others returning to excel in the 2022 season. Go Carbon!