The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
JV bronado becomes maelstrom
by Than Acuff
The CB Devo high school bike team headed to Glenwood Springs for the Spring Valley Scramble on Sunday, September 27 for their third race of the season and won the overall team title in Division three for the second time this year.
Five riders finished in the top five, including the JV boys rolling across in second, third and fourth place in their race.
“We changed their moniker from bronado to maelstrom,” jokes coach John Landreth.
Robert Spencer led the JV charge for CB Devo as he and another rider took the lead and battled for all three laps of the race before Spencer got nipped at the end to finish in second.
“He wanted to win, that was the goal for his race,” says Landreth.
Soren Eggebraten started the season racing in the freshmen class but after a dominating opening race win, was able to move up into the JV classes for the last two races and continues to climb his way through the ranks coming in one minute behind Spencer in third place with Nate Taylor rounding out the JV triumvirate just five seconds behind Eggebraten in fourth place.
“Those JV boys got after it on the first lap, settled in on the second lap and each had an incredible third lap,” says Landreth.
And while they generated the most team points for CB Devo, Tilly Rinderle continued to leave her sophomore competition behind racking up her third win of the season in as many races and remains the overall points leader for the season. All of that despite going over the handlebars in Glenwood on the third lap.
“She just jumped back on her bike and still won by five minutes,” says Landreth.
Freshman rider Grace Tucker rounded out the team points total for CB Devo in the freshman girl’s race. Tucker was sitting in fourth place after two laps but caught sight of the third-place rider as she headed out on her final lap and buried herself to reel her in and finish the day in third place.
“She saw the girl ahead of her and just got mad,” says Landreth. “She just has a willingness to push hard, and she had a smile on her face after the race and knew she had accomplished something.”
Meanwhile, Jackson Holsteen was in the mix as the lone CB Devo varsity rider riding four laps and shaving time throughout to finish 25th.
“His capacity to ride well on that fourth lap was impressive,” says Landreth.
Shiloh Stephenson and Sullivan Reese carried the CB Devo colors in the boys’ sophomore race. It was Stephenson’s first race of the season and had to start in 55th place but smashed his way through the field to cross in 14th place after three laps.
“He just laid it down,” says Landreth. He’s got that competitive drive.”
Reese was close behind in 17th place and continues to gain with every event in his second year of racing for the team.
“His mental fortitude has grown dramatically this year,” says Landreth.
Mason Dunn and Walker Sumners are in their first year of racing in the freshman class and they placed 35th and 49th respectively.
“I’m super impressed with all of the freshmen and sophomore riders,” says Landreth. “They’re the future of our team.”
The team heads to Canon City on Saturday, October 10 for their fourth and final race of the regular season and then have a week off for the October Break before getting back together to prepare for the state championships October 24-25. Right now, CB Devo has seven riders already qualified for the big show and may pick up one more at the final race in Canon City.
