NorCal League High School Series Championship: "Six Sigma Slinger" - April 29th, 2017

This weekend we got up early. Really, really early. Actually, to be honest I woke up at like 5am - but I felt like 1am. We loaded up the Akins family's RV and headed up to the Six Sigma Ranch & Winery nestled in the mountains near Clearlake, California. The drive there was more or less a normal drive up until the last hour. All of a sudden the scenery changes, there are epic panoramic views, and the road was one of the nicest I had seen. It seemed like a combination of Robinson Canyon Road in Carmel Valley, Haleakala Crater Road in Maui, Highway One in Big Sur and even more. It had me wishing I had brought my road bike along as well! ​ Once we reached the ranch we unloaded the RV and headed out for the pre-ride. My first thoughts where that the course was not the best due to some small berms and bumpy trails. However, my second lap I felt like I was flying, and my view on the course changed completely! 

In the morning the freshman and sophomore squad and I went and warmed up together on a short climb just South of the race venue. After a few repeats, I went and lined up for the start. From the gun, I went ham. I hammered to create a gap between myself and the rest of the field and successfully held it the remainder of the race. The course was a very fun one - steep climbs, many creek crossings, extremely tight turns, a section featuring a bit of a slalom feel and more. The bottom line is I had a blast.

I am very happy to say that I took 5 wins in the 5 race series and capped it off with a win at the NorCal championships! Thank you to Coco as well as all the other great NorCal staff and volunteers that make racing such a stellar, fun experience. California State Championships here we come!!!

Photography: Oliver Lawrence