Rain shortens biking event at Bonita Lakes
By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
June 28, 2004
Rain and an overcast sky didn't help the turnout for the State Games of Mississippi mountain bike event at Bonita Lakes, but it didn't keep all of the racers away.
Twenty cyclists pedaled through the course in the back right corner of the park on Sunday morning on the final day of the second weekend of competition.
Because of the wet conditions, the course was shortened from a five-mile track to four-miles.
Martin said the reduction was for safety and to compensate for tougher conditions on the course.
Cyclist were divided into three divisions expert, sport and beginner for the races. Experts ran four laps; sport riders ran three laps; and beginners finished two laps.
Max Dyar took the gold in men's expert competition with a time of 1:39.42. Joe Ingram finished second with a 1:42.36, and Richard Burroughs came in third with a 2:02.46.
In the men's sport division, which was also broken down into age groups, Brad Atkins won the 19-34-year-old group with a time of 1:18.09, and Bryon Moudy came in second with a 1:45.05.
Curt Thompson came in first in the sport 35-44-year-old group with a time of 1:19.47. Todd Whitehead finished with a time of 1:29.26 for second, and Joseph Marsilia took third with a 1:32.32.
Ed Bishop took first in the men's sport 45-and-older group with a time of 1:23.54, and Lena Yarbrough won the sport women race with a 1:49.04.
In the beginner men races, Jay Semien won the 15-34-year-old group with a time of 1:11.23.
Todd Nick finished with a 1:11.00 time in the 35-44-year-old beginner group to take first, and Charles Smith came in second with a time of 1:14.51.
Bob Glenn won the beginner 45-and-old group with a 1:24.10, and Becky Stanley took the women's beginner gold medal with a 1:15.23.
In the youth age groups, Chaney Lofton won the 6-8-year-old race, and Isaac Stanley took the 10-12-year-old boys race gold.
Kaitlynn Smith won the girls' 12-14-year-old race, and Kelsey Stanley came in second. Karissa Both won the 10-12-year-old girls race.
Though the turnout was lower than in year's past and the times were slower than normal, Martin said the competition did have one bit of good news nobody was injured on the course.
