Sager Creek Trail | Race Recap - Ozark Cycling Adventures

2017 Arkansas NICA Race Report #1

Arkansas NICA kicked off our 2nd season September 10, 2017 in Siloam Springs on the campus of John Brown University. The infield was in a giant field on the far north side of their campus next to the mountain bike trails and cross country trails. The field had ample space for an epic, slightly downhill race start sprint across chunky grass in the field. Many teams and volunteers camped in the field the night before the race.

Girls Wave
The 2017 season kicked off with the High School Girls. Seven Junior Varsity and eight Freshman girls all started their races together – a huge increase in female participation for the high school categories from the Arkansas 2016 season. Cate Mertins, the 2016 Sophomore state champion rider from Haas Hall Academy pulled out 20 minute lap times and won the Junior Varsity race. Nina Zeiler, a new rider from Bentonville High School rode to victory in the Freshman race.

In the middle school girls are divided into 6th, 7th, and 8th grade divisions this year, Mackenzie Chaves from Poteau won the 8th grade girls, Ryan Grynwald from RazorbaCX Little Rock took the victory in the 7th grade girls, and Audrey Brinkley from Lincoln Junior High won her first NICA race as a 6th grade girl.

Results

6th Grade Girls
1 AUDREY BRINKLEY Lincoln Junior High School
2 CATHERINE HENRY The New School
3 KEERA TUCKER Lincoln Junior High School
4 SARA JANE POST Arkansas Arts Academy
5 HAILEY CODDINGTON Conway Composite

7th Grade Girls
1 RYAN GRYNWALD RazorbaCX Little Rock Composite
2 KATIE CONWAY Haas Hall Academy
3 ABBY MARTIN Haas Hall Academy
4 OLIVIA CARTE AR Independent
5 CHELSEA COUTURE Haas Hall Academy

8th Grade Girls
1 MACKENZIE CHAVEZ Poteau Public Schools
2 RYLEIGH REDDELL Lincoln Junior High School
3 EMMA JOHNSON RazorbaCX Little Rock Composite
4 DALLICE WHITE Pea Ridge High School
5 EMMA HAMBY Haas Hall Academy

9th Grade Girls
1 NINA ZEILER Bentonville High School
2 ZOE MARCH Bentonville West High School
3 AVERY ESCAJEDA Pea Ridge High School
4 LAUREN ADAMS Bentonville High School
5 ELLA VAN HORN Fayetteville Cycling Composite

JV Girls
1 CATE MERTINS Haas Hall Academy
2 ABBY VERNON Bentonville High School
3 MEGHAN WILLOX Springdale / Har-Ber High School
4 ANGELA WURZER Bentonville High School
5 HANNAH SWILLING River Valley Marshals

Middle School Boys Wave
The 8th grade boys is the largest category in the Arkansas League this season. Forty student athletes approached the line waiting for the start of their first race of the season. The countdown – and GO! – and they looked like a herd of buffalo moving across the field vying for position before dropping into the single track, kicking up dust along the way.

Cayden Parker and Finn Parker, Conway Bearcats riders (and brothers) new to NICA this season but veteran racers, took the 8th grade boys and 6th grade boys wins. Stihl Snyder from Poteau Oklahoma won the 7th grade race.

Results

6th Grade Boys
1 FINN PARKER Conway Composite
2 JOSHUA LEAMON Conway Composite
3 MABRY VERSER Rogers All Mountain Shredders
4 LUKE BROOKS Poteau Public Schools
5 SETH CASEY Conway Composite

7th Grade Boys
1 STIHL SNYDER Poteau Public Schools
2 JAMES JONES Conway Composite
3 ALEXANDER SEVART The New School
4 AUSTIN TRAYWICK Conway Composite
5 ETHAN CHITWOOD Poteau Public Schools

8th Grade Boys
1 CAYDEN PARKER Conway Composite
2 NEYLAND ROBINSON Lincoln Junior High School
3 CHARLES CARTER Lincoln Junior High School
4 STERLING OSKAR Rogers All Mountain Shredders
5 CHASE FERGUSON Lincoln Junior High School

High School Boys Wave
The competition has definitely intensified in the high school boys categories for the 2017 season. So many riders have spent so many hours honing their skills and building their endurance, and it is really evident in the way the racers have raced.

Jacob Smithpeters from Haas Hall Academy won the Varsity boys division in a dominant performance in his Varsity debut! Carter Ferguson from Bentonville High School had a victory in the JV race. The sophomore race went to Rogers rider Garrett Chrisman. The freshman race was one of the closest races with Dakota Falcon just beating Eli Milton out for the win by 5 seconds!

Results

9th Grade Boys
1 DAKOTA FALCON Bentonville High School
2 ELI MILTON Bentonville High School
3 LANDON DOTY Springdale / Har-Ber High School
4 JACKSON SPRINGMAN Bentonville High School
5 WES THOMPSON RazorbaCX Little Rock Composite

10th Grade Boys
1 GARRETT CHRISMAN Rogers All Mountain Shredders
2 WILL PETERSON Bentonville High School
3 ZACHARY COUTURE Haas Hall Academy
4 ETHAN JONES Bentonville High School
5 CAMDEN GOFF Haas Hall Academy

JV Boys
1 CARTER FERGUSON Bentonville High School
2 ALEX MCKINSTRY Rogers All Mountain Shredders
3 JOSH GOODRICH Bentonville High School
4 LUCAS BYRNE Bentonville West High School
5 AARON MATTINGLY Bentonville High School

Varsity Boys
1 JACOB SMITHPETERS Haas Hall Academy
2 CONNOR PHILLIPS Bentonville High School
3 RYAN REDDELL Bentonville West High School
4 KADE KORTE Bentonville High School
5 GLENDON vAN SANDT Bentco Composite