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Senior rider Jayden Calabretta outsprints his competition in the final turn at Dauset Trails.
By Team Cartecay –– Crisp blue skies, cool temps and fast trails made for perfect conditions.
Team Cartecay’s third race of the season was at Jackson’s Dauset Nature Center, and Gilmer’s mountain bike race squads continued to show improvement in individual times, with nearly all athletes moving up several spots in their finishes.
The Cartecay squad scored enough team points to finish fourth for the day, retaining their third place ranking overall in the Georgia Cycling Association’s Eastern Division, while the Cohutta squad retained their 7th spot with strong efforts by JV-2 riders Dontay Adams and Brayden Harbin.
Team Cartecay’s lady shredders continue to perform at a very high level, recording six top-ten finishes led by Bella Cianciolo (Cohutta: 4th – Freshman), Clare Moore (Cartecay: 6th – JV-1), Ryley Fields (Gilmer High: 7th – Freshman), Evangelina Giet (Cartecay: 8th - JV-1), and Petra Giet (Cartecay: 9th – JV-2).
For the third time in as many races, Lucy Nell Alonso (North GA Christian) brought home the USA Cycling Skills Competition 1st Place certificate in the female classification.
Senior riders Jayden Calabretta (Cohutta: 29th – JV-1), Brayden Harbin (Cohutta: 57th – JV-2), and David Sullivan (Cartecay: 23rd – JV-2) contributed significant points with their respective finishes, helping their teams to place well in the overall Team Standings.
A strong showing by the up-and-coming junior riders shone a bright light forward into the future for Team Cartecay, with 7th grade riders capturing 12th place (Justice Giet: 7th Grade), 15th place (Miles Slemons: 7th Grade), 20th place (Beau Tate: 7th Grade), 22nd place (Nico Cianciolo – 7th Grade), and 14th place (Leo Alonso: 6th Grade).
Freshmen riders Asher Sullivan and Jubilee Giet are showing flashes of excellence and steady growth in hard work, particularly in their hill climbing game. Sullivan finished 48th in the Freshman Boys category, while Jubiliee Giet finished 12th in Freshman Girls.
Other riders deserving of mention include Hunter McCree (Cohutta: 43rd – JV-2), Lazarus Alonso (North GA Christian Academy: 58th – JV-2), and Micah Slemons (Cohutta: 59th – JV-2). The trio of Harbin, Alonso, and Slemons emerged from the woods in a tight group and spun their legs up for an exciting sprint finish, outpacing their competition in the final push for the line.
Team Cartecay went on to attend the Conference Championship race at Road Atlanta’s Fox Factory Trails Oct. 22 in Braselton.