Red Rock Raptors Kickoff a New Season with 5.3-mile race

Red Rock Raptors, the Kanab Composite youth mountain biking team, kicked off their second race season on Saturday, August 16. The event occurred at the Olympic venue, Soldier Hollow, and featured an exciting, 5.3-mile racecourse with over 700 feet in elevation gain. Eighteen teams, from Utah’s Sixth Region, gathered on the field below the track, in branded tents, surrounded by thousands of mountain bikes. The atmosphere was lively, with racers lining up, taking off, and finishing continually throughout the day. Family and friends could be seen dotting the mountainside, as they rushed to catch a glimpse of their racer.

Left to right:

• Steven Clarkson takes advantage of a jump feature on the racetrack.

• The Red Rock Raptors Kanab Composite Team 2025.

• Santiago Salcedo takes a turn on his way to a sixth-place finish.

The morning began with six junior high Raptors taking to the course. Bob Keller and Gwen Espinoza, back for their second seasons, took 36th and 43rd in their respective races. The seventh-grade beginners, Bridger Shakespeare and Steven Clarkson, had impressive debuts. Shakespeare overtook 59 racers to place seventh, while Clarkson passed 70 racers to place 18th. Another beginner, Dalton Kenworthy, was the sole Raptor to take the podium at Soldier Hollow, finishing second out of 44 participants. Reese Josie, another first-timer, placed 38th in the same race.

Twelve more Raptors competed across seven races in the afternoon. Mason Barber, back for another season, kicked off the high school races, gaining ten positions to finish 48th. Kaylee Downward, daughter of Head Coach Mike Downward, held strong in her positioning, finishing 10th in her race. Santiago Salcedo, a newcomer, had a powerful showing and earned a sixth-place finish, missing the podium by less than four seconds. Trace Staples, a freshman, placed 17th in his first high school race. Elijah Heaton and Korver Staples, racing alongside each other for the second year in a row, earned 34th and 48th places. Matt Shrope worked hard and finished his very first race in 28th place. Pazli Bauer, Evelyn Staples, Summer Henderson, Penny Espinoza, and James Bartlett also participated in the races.

The next race will be on Saturday, August 30in Cedar City. Let’s go, Raptors!