On October 20th and 21st, the Mountain bike team headed to the Colorado Mountain College campus in Glenwood to compete in the exciting State Mountain Biking race which welcomed many competitors from a vast variety of places all over Colorado. Only the top 40 people from each category, JV and varsity girls, and JV and varsity boys, qualify for state. Kate Rizzo, a senior at Palisade High School, qualified for state, entering the race, 33rd, and had a very successful race finishing 30th. Rizzo explains, “I was very happy with the race. I felt a lot better because on that course there is a lot of climbing which makes it very challenging and the downhill is super loose and dusty but I feel like I did really well on that course this weekend so that was really fun.” Other athletes from Palisade had a very successful time at state such as Rowan Ferguson a junior placed 12th in JV boys and Siena Guzman Newton placed 29th in varsity girls. Rizzo explains how the Spring Valley campus is a very beautiful place with scenic views of mountains all around. Rizzo says, “It’s so pretty and definitely the prettiest race venue I’ve been at.” Given that the state meet is the last race of the season, it embodies a different kind of vibe and feeling with a mixture of intensity and the goal of just having fun. Rizzo says, “It’s different, especially in varsity, because there are some younger racers, who take it very seriously and want to be fast, and the seniors are too, however because it’s the seniors’ last race, I think all of us are focused on having fun. Before and after, everyone was just talking and laughing and it was just a very fun atmosphere and we were all just wanting to enjoy it. We were all just messing around and cheering on our teammates and it was a really good time.” Rizzo is planning on continuing to mountain bike in her free time and possibly being a part of a club but explains how she feels she is unsure if she’s at the level to be able to participate in a collegiate level team but is not opposed to it. Although the bike team is made up of a relatively small number of Palisade athletes, they put in a great deal of effort that often goes unnoticed. Nevertheless, the accomplishments of each of these athletes should be celebrated as it is a reflection of their dedication and hard work. For some of these athletes, it was the last race in their high school career and although it was a bittersweet event, each person made the most out of every race, especially the last one. The future for the bike team looks to be successful and exciting due to the hard work each athlete embodies.
