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Gwendalyn Gibson wins state cycling championship

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Ramona High School Cycle Dawg Gwendalyn Gibson won the state championship for the high school cycling league’s girls junior varsity division, outpacing the second-place winner by nearly 3-1/2 minutes.

Gibson, a sophomore, was undefeated the entire high school mountain bike racing season, capturing first place in every competition.

“Every race was a good day for me,” she said, adding that she never ran into a problem such as becoming sick or having an issue with her bike. “I had the perfect season.”

Competing against 56 other girls in her division, Gibson said she was a bit nervous going into the state championships May 16-17 in Los Olivos, especially when an opponent started out harder than she did. However, after climbing three switchbacks and a mile into the 12-mile race, Gibson said she looked back and saw she had a comfortable lead. “Coming across the finish line was probably the best feeling I had all year,” she said.

“It was amazing,” said Cycle Dawg coach Robert Grace.

The course, he said, consisted of two six-mile laps, each climbing 811 feet — “like a gigantic roller coaster, hardly any flat.”

Gibson finished the race in 1:00:02:39.

Last year she won third place at state out of 41 freshman girls.

As a team the Ramona Cycle Dawgs took 12th place out of 25 Northern and Southern California Division 1 teams.

Sophomore Travis Wagner took 14th place in the boys D1 sophomore race, while teammate Hayden Ellsworth came in 18th.

“Travis Wagner had the best race of the season,” said Grace. “He went out strong and fast and caught up to Hayden.”

Wagner moved in front of Ellsworth, and for the first time this season beat him, added Grace.

Jaron Cappos, the Cycle Dawgs’ only member competing in the boys varsity division took 23rd out of 65 competitors in Division 1.

“He wasn’t feeling 100 percent at the start of the race,” said Grace.

Cappos, a junior, finished the regular season fourth-place overall in the D1/D2 varsity boys category. Last year he won the state championships for the Division 2 sophomore boys. His sister Stassa has had a good year as a freshman Cycle Dawg. She placed 12th at state out of 50 freshman girls.

According to Grace, Gibson would have normally competed in the sophomore division this year, but because of her freshman point total, she was moved up to JV.

That means next year she will compete varsity.

“I know it’s going to be a lot tougher,” she said. “I’m going to train really hard.”

She also competes in cross country, a fall sport at Ramona High, and maintains a 4.17 GPA.

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