MOUNTAIN BIKING: Two Port Angeles winners at second NW Cup

PORT ANGELES — Two Port Angeles riders won their classes in the second running of the Northwest Cup downhill bike races at Dry Hill this weekend.

More than 400 racers descended on the Northwest Cup this weekend, with lots of racers from all over the West and Canada and one competitor coming from as far away as Switzerland.

Two local riders won their classes. Port Angeles’ Jeff Berry won the Cat 3 Men’s 40-plus class with a time of 3 minutes, 26.39 seconds, while Harley Dachs of Port Angeles won the Cat 3 boys 11- to 14-year-old category with a time of 3:13.83.

Dachs lost out winning his race in this year’s first NW Cup by 3/100ths of a second. This time, he made sure he had a safe margin of victory as he won by a whopping eight seconds.

Organizer Scott Tucker said 10 out of the 24 young competitors in Dachs’ race were from Port Angeles, showing how much biking is growing in this area.

“Cycling in this town is blowing up,” he said. A total of 34 racers on the weekend were from the Port Angeles area.

“He [Dachs] is actually new to the sport. When we get him on a fresh ride he’s really going to do well,” Tucker said.

Also placing was Port Angeles’ Zach Fraser, who came in second in the Cat 2 19-29 men’s race in 2:50.87, which was the second-fastest run on that track in any category all day. Fraser is not only a local rider, he helped build the Dry Creek run.

Also placing was Port Angeles’ Matt Mangano, who came in third place in the men’s Cat 2 15-18 class with a time of 2:49.34 and Joseph Clemens, who finished third in the Cat 3 Boys 11-14 class with a time of 3:24.30.

James Gardner of Port Angeles had a very respectable fourth-place finish in the Cat 2 30-39 class, which Tucker said is one of the toughest categories.

Gardner’s time of 3:01.55, was just 10 seconds off the winning time. Port Angeles’ Anthony Jones also finished fourth in the Cat 3 0-10 category for boys with a time of 3:58.58.

Tucker said the dry, sunny weather made it one of the best NW Cup races yet. “It was one of the funnest events we’ve ever had,” he said.

Winning the professional categories were Jill Kitner of Bellingham with a time of 2:49.17 and Magnus Manson of Victoria, B.C., with a time of 2:28.64.

More than 900 total riders competed in the two Northwest Cup races west of Port Angeles this spring.

The Northwest Cup races now move on to Mount Hood Ski Bowl on June 1. Races will be held during the summer in Kellogg, Idaho, Stevens Pass, Whitefish, Mont., and outside of McCall, Idaho. Port Angeles and Stevens Pass are the only areas that host more than one Northwest Cup races.

NW Cup

Dry Hill, Port Angeles

May 4-6

Top 3 Results

Winner/Sponsor/Hometown/Place/Time

Cat 3 Men 19-39 — Christian Myers, first, Snoqualmie, 3:10.48; David Funnel-Kris Christiansen, second, Seattle, 3:26.24; Marcus Brown, Lynwood, third, 3:32.02.

Cat 3 Men 15-18 — Ethan Hudgins-Orielly Signs/Fat Bramble Produce, first, Everett, first, 3:16.74; Johnny Pray, Lake Stevens, second, 3:20.00; Aaron McCurdy, Auburn, third, 3:21.58.

Cat 3 Men 40+ — Jeff Berry, Port Angeles, first, 3:26.39; Angel Brett, Sammamish, second, 3:27.56; Kerry Pray, Lake Stevens, third, 3:29.10.

Cat 3 Women 19-39 — Holly Hagensen, Camas, first, 4:01.00; Alice Malhan, Seattle, second, 4:03.30; Jennifer Gonzalez, Edgewood, third, 4:14.51.

Cat 3 Women 40+ — Tricia Connolly-Sagebrush, first, Bend, Ore., , 4:08.10; Jennifer Wharton-Progression Cycle, Sammamish, second, 4:17.57; Grace Jackson-Joy Ride Cycles, Caldwell, Idaho, 4:31.31.

Cat 3 Boys 11-14 — Harley Dachs, Port Angeles, first, 3:13.83; Denton Johnson-Tim’s Bike Shop, Snohomish, second, 3:21.92; Joseph Clemens-NWMTB RIDERS, Port Angeles, third, 3:24.30.

Cat 3 Girls 11-18 — Saylor Jackson-Joy Ride Cycles, New Plymouth, Idaho, first, 4:04.25; Riley Hudson-Sweetlines Jr. Racing, Bothell, second, 4:12.86; Mica Erickson-Two Wheeler Dealer, Hayden, Idaho, third, 4:13.86.

Cat 3 Boys 0-10 — Kellen Gary, Issaquah, first, 3:45.12; Eliot Bravard, Bend, Ore., second, 3:45.56; Max McKenzie-Troy Lee Designs, Five-Ten, Gravi, third, 3:46.38.

Cat 3 Girls 0-10 — Aletha Ostgaard-Ablgate Homes, Schwalbe, Mad, Selah, first, 3:53.41; Molly Blair-Sweetlines Jr Racing, North Bend, second, 4:39.84; Nory Klein-Spawn, Sweetlines Jr. Racing, Redmond, third, 5:39.85.

Cat 2 Men 19-29 — Tyler Villopoto-Rotec, Funn, Canves MX, Poulsbo, first, 2:43.98; Zach Fraser-Strait Off The Couch Racing, Port Angeles, second, 2:50.87; Jordan Kinnison-Team Scraper, Eugene, Ore., third, 2:50.99.

Cat 2 Men 30-39 — Wallace Barr, Whistler, B.C., first, 2:51.30; Daniel Phipps, Whistler, B.C., second, 2:53.96; Nic Ollier-Cycle Dog, Whistler, B.C., third, 2:56.71.

Cat 2 Men 40-49 — Cameron Peircy-Tims Bike Shop/Kona/Deity, Snohomish, first, 3:06.26; Randall Rothgeb-Singletrack Minds/Transition, Vancouver, Wash., second, 3:07.26; Christian Hagel-Sorensen-Sports Lab/529 Legion, Sammamish, third, 3:10.91.

Cat 2 Men 50+ — Ed Reilly-West Coast Racing, Gresham, Ore., first, 3:00.04; David Overman-High Mountain Drifters, Vancouver, Wash., second, 3:00.67; Jason Gibb-GHY bikes FSA, Fly, Redmond, third, 3:06.83.

Cat 2 Men 15-18 — Brandon Daly-Northwest Bicycle, North Bend, first, 2:47.40; Blake Rausch-NEM LLC, Rainier, second, 2:49.17; Matt Mangano-Olympic Dirt Society, Port Angeles, third, 2:49.34.

Cat 2 Women 19-39 — Elena Runyan-Sweetlines Jr. Racing – Broadmar, Sammamish, first, 3:32.18; Elizabeth Finkelstein-Cyclepath PDX, Portland, Ore., second, 3:33.93; Isabelle Lang, Zugi, Switzerland, third, 3:34.29.

Cat 2 Women 40+ — Leigh Woody-Proud Squirrel, Bellingham, first, 3:41.90; Nicola Erbeck-Alkirubiconracing, Seattle, second, 3:42.35; Virginie Calme-Cyclepath PDX, Bend, third, 3:43.00.

Cat 2 Boys 0-14 — Jonah Brinkerhoff, Bellingham, first, 2:51.31; Jon Mozell-Dunbar Cycles, North Vancouver, B.C., second, 2:51.38; Coen Skrypnek-Extreme Speed Gravity Team, Calgary, Alberta, third, 2:52.74.

Cat 2 Women 0-18 — Nyla Stephens-Sweetlines Jr. Racing, North Bend, first, 3:25.19; Taylor Ostgaard-Ablegate Homes, Schwalbe, Selah, second, 3:30.50; Sierra Semsak-Sweetlines Jr. Racing, Issaquah, third, 3:37.81.

Cat 1 Men 19-29 — Max Ford-Loose Riders, Onyx Hubs, Schwalbe, West Richland, first, 2:44.78; Andrew Boxold, Walnut Creek, Calif., second, 2:48.16; Spencer Baldwin, Bellingham, third, 2:49.20.

Cat 1 Men 30-39 — Mike Klenz, Carlton, Ore., first, 2:51.28; Nick Lerma-Cyclepath PDX, Portland, Ore., second, 2:57.80; Bryson Otto, Post Falls, Idaho, third, 2:58.46.

Cat 1 Men 40+ — Scott Kemp-Evil Bikes, Shoreline, first, 2:46.35; Kris Melton-West Coast Racing, Leavenworth, second, 3:00.15; Rich Denz, Spokane, third, 3:03.39.

Cat 1 Women 19+ — Agnes Sauvage, Seattle, first, 3:29.69; Meghan Dahl, Bellingham, second, 3:30.75; Christine Stivers-Lost Bikes/Deity Components, Mount Vernon, third, 3:32.65

Cat 1 Girls 0-18 — Ella Erickson-Commencal USA, Hayden, Idaho, first, 3:06.09; Bryce Bassett, Wenatchee, second, 3:06.50; Bailey Goldstone-Juliana/Sombrio, third, 3:07.87.

Cat 1 Boys 0-18 — Jackson Goldstone-Trek/Shimano/Fox Racing, Squamish, B.C., first, 2:39.37; Seth Sherlock-Kovarik Nagura RD team/Intense, second, 2:40.64, Zach McCracken, Snoqualmie, third, 2:43.27.

Pro Women — Jill Kitner-Redbull/Norco/Shimano, Bellingham, first, 2:49.17; Kyleigh Stewart-Commencal Canada/Deity/ Royal, second, 3:01.05; Sarah Olsen-Cyclepath PDX, Portland, Ore., third, 3:03.52.

Pro Men — Magnus Manson-Canyon Bikes/Fox Head, Victoria, B.C., first, 2:28.64; Demetri Triantafillou-Transition/EVO, Bellingham, second, 2:31.73; Luke Strobel-Evil Bikes, Issaquah, third, 2:32.87.