Schaffer, Beckstead, McComas win races

Middletown's Camille Schaffer won the sophomore girls division Saturday at the Six Sigma Ranch and Winery mountain bike course. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Wood) — Middletown’s Camille Schaffer won the sophomore girls division Saturday at the Six Sigma Ranch and Winery mountain bike course. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Wood)

UPDATED: May 4, 2021 at 9:50 AM PDT

Members of the Middletown High School mountain bike team took part in their second points race of the season Saturday at the Six Sigma Ranch and Winery course near Lower Lake. Team members are (top row, from left) Chase Wink, Jacob Brown, Steven Beckstead, Kieran McSween, Kamilah Chairez, Camille Shaffer and (bottom row, from left) Dean McComas, Ryan Schneider, Logan Wood, and (on the ground) Tristan Chairez, Leslie Chairez, Lilly Wood, and Caterina Barriga. Wood, Barriga and Tristan Chairez are middle-schoolers practicing with the team. (Photos courtesy of Samantha Wood)

LOWER LAKE — Camille Schaffer, Steven Beckstead and Dean McComas of the Middletown High School mountain bike team scored first-place finishes Saturday during the second of three NorCal Cycling League races taking place this year at the Six Sigma Ranch and Winery course near Lower Lake.

Clear Lake and Kelseyville each had one rider participating during Saturday’s action.

Middletown's Camille Schaffer won the sophomore girls division Saturday at the Six Sigma Ranch and Winery mountain bike course.

All of the Lake County riders, who belong to the Redwood region, competed Saturday. Unlike their season-opening race last month, this time the riders rode counter-clockwise on the Six Sigma course, which measured 8.2 miles this time around.

“It was much harder climbing,” Middletown coach Samantha Wood said of the counter-clockwise direction on a course that features an 812-foot elevation gain.

Schaffer won the sophomore girls race in 56 minutes, 4.95 seconds, Beckstead topped the field in the JV boys division two race in 41:11.39, and McComas won the freshman boys division two race in 52:33.14.

Second-place finishes went to Kamilah Chairez in the sophomore girls race (1:27:06.53), Ryan Schneider in the sophomore boys division two race (46:34.93), and Jacob Brown in the freshman boys division two race (58:56.99).

Placing third in their respective divisions were Leslie Chairez in the JV girls race (1:15:43.27), Keiran McSween in the JV boys division two race (44:39.42), and Logan Wood in the sophomore boys division two race (53:56.47).

Chase Wink came in fourth in the sophomore boys division two race (1:05:17.08).

Middletown's Chase Wink finished fourth in the sophomore boys division two race. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Wood)

Clear Lake’s Gary White placed fifth in the JV boys division two race (50:19.7) while Kelseyville’s Tristen Sandhoff was seventh in the same division (53:25.83).

The NorCal Cycling League is running an abbreviated 2021 schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is divided into five divisions this season — Redwood, Repack and Capital (race on Saturdays), and East and Center (race on Sundays).

The third and final points race takes place May 15-16 at Six Sigma. All the Lake County riders compete May 15.

“Please come out to support and watch the mountain bike team,” Wood said of the upcoming race.

You can follow the Middletown mountain bike team on Instagram and Facebook.

Originally Published: May 3, 2021 at 4:06 PM PDT