A Washington teenager is currently ranked 5th in the nation in 15-16 girls USA Cycling Cyclocross points. Fourteen-year-old Alijah Beatty races nearly every weekend across the midwest and reached the podium at the Chicago CX Cup race and also at the St. Louis Gateway CX Cup in the Women s Open Category. Cyclocross is a series of multiple laps of a 1.5 to 2 mile course that includes pavement, wooded trails, grass, hills and obstacles, which require the cyclist to quickly dismount, carry the bike and remount.

Next weekend she will be competing in Iowa City at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, with a race each day. Friday she will race at 3:30 p.m. and the event is free and open to the public.

Beatty is a freshman at Iowa Mennonite School, a member of the Mercy/Specialized Iowa City W omen’s Cycling Team and is the daughter of Mark and Susie Beatty.