The NYS Junior Track Championship was a lot of fun. We had fast and exciting races. Mostly Star Track riders were there, about 20 – the only person not from Star Track was our friend Isaac. In our category, 10-12 year olds, we had three riders and therefore they combined us with the one girl in the 10-12 category. So in our field were four in total.
Our Omnium
Our first race was a 4 lap scratch for 1.6 kilometers in total. At the start Ari just went straight for an attack and I followed. After that Ari and I worked together and when I heard the bell, I went for my sprint. I got second and Ari got first.
Our second race was a chariot, so it was basically just sprinting for one lap. I heard the whistle and then just gunned it. I started my sprint about half a second too late and Ari got first and I finished second.
The last race in our omnium was a 500 meter race. I wanted to win this. I started at the front so I had to launch the sprint. When I heard the whistle I started speeding up at the rail looking back to see if Ari would go but he was just glued to my wheel, so I had to launch my sprint early. I went as hard as I could but came behind Ari as he rushed the gap at the end. I think this was when the picture above was taken by Coach Mike.
In the omnium I got second overall and Ari got the win. So, Ari is our current New York State track cycling champion.
Bonus Race
Our coach hosted a race where you had to stay within about 25 meters before the finish line. So you had to track stand or go really, really slow. After two minutes, one had to take a hand off and after another two minutes a foot. I lasted for about two minutes but got my foot stuck in my spokes and couldn’t keep track standing. Ari got second overall and Isaac won. But don’t feel sorry for Ari, he got $20 for his second place finish.
Between Races
When Ari and I did not race, we hung out under a tent to watch others race and chat. The below picture shows (from the left to right) Logan, Julian, Noah, Ari, Daniel, and YoYo.
So, not only did we had a great time racing, we also had a great time hanging out with our friends.
