The Xavier
contingent is in its fourth year of an alliance with all-male Brophy Prep in
the Arizona Interscholastic Cycling League.
Participation
in the sport at Xavier now has reached double digits (10). Skill levels vary.
XCP-BCP coach Rich Perrott said three Gator riders participated in most of last
year’s events. Now the team has four event competitors with two or three others
on the verge of taking the next step.
Xavier-Brophy
competes in Division I (there also is a Division II). Perrott estimates there
are about 900 riders from schools across the state.
The
maturation process for Xavier riders reached a new level in the first race of
the season, on Sunday (Sept. 10) at Fort Tuthill Park in Flagstaff. Xavier will
have four more races, on Sept. 24 at Pioneer Park in Prescott, on Oct. 8 at the
Wren Arena in Sierra Vista, on Oct. 22 at the McDowell Mountain Park in
Fountain Hills and on Nov. 5 at the White Tank Mountain Regional Park in the
west Valley (Waddell). All races begin at 9 a.m.
“We are
beyond happy. We finally got someone up on the podium (top five finishers),’’
Perrott said.
It came in
the girls’ sophomore race, and Heather Kwapiszeski nipped teammate Erin Hill at
the finish line.
Perrott, who
is assisted by Blake McClelland and Kevin Hill, said both riders are
outstanding athletes with a great deal of versatility.
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Xavier sophomore Heather Kwapiszeski, far right, earned a spot among the mountain biking elite with a fifth-place finish in last weekend's race in Flagstaff. (Photo courtesy of Rich Perrott).
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“Erin has
played basketball and Heather has been in soccer and cross country,’’ he said.
“Heather was
very excited about her accomplishment. She joined us last year as kind of a
casual bike rider, but she has turned into a very tenacious racer. The sky is
the limit.’’
As a team,
Xavier-Brophy finished in eighth place. It was a good place to start. Sierra
Vista Buena won by a single point over Prescott High.
The race
course at Flagstaff featured a 5.8-mile loop with a 344-foot climb per lap. The
older, more experienced riders go as long as four laps while the sophomores and
freshmen go two laps. The races go in a counterclockwise direction.
Xavier’s Sam
Sandoval finished 15th in the sophomore race and Natalie Fuchs
finished 17th in the freshman race.
So it is
back to work for the Gators this week. The girls and their Brophy compadres usually
have trail rides on Tuesdays and Saturdays (when there is no race on Sunday)
and a “spin’’ session on Thursdays.
Perrott said
if a student expresses an interest in mountain biking, they can use one of 10
“loaner’’ bikes and helmets to see if they like it, and includes consultation
with the parents.
“We have
seen a lot of growth and hope to see more,’’ Perrott said. “Sister Lynn and the
athletic department at Xavier have been very supportive of us.’’
Xavier Prep Mountain Biking roster
Lulu Castro
(Jr.), Natalie Fuchs (Fr.), Charlotte Heffron (So.), Erin Hill (So.), Yacinta
Irakoze (Jr.), Heather Kwapiszeski (So.), Sydney Larriva (So.), Isabella Plumb
(Jr.), Sam Sandoval (So.), Catherine Wandachowicz (So.).
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