Photo Courtesy of Mark Beatty
A sophomore at the Iowa Mennonite School is competing in the biggest cycling event in the country this weekend in Iowa City. Fifteen year old Alijah Beatty has been competing in cyclocross, an off-road bicycling event, for the past five years. The cyclocross season takes place during the fall and winter months, and Beatty says the courses present unique challenges.
“You go through sand, gravel, snow, anything that is outside.” Beatty said, “You can go through just about anything with your bike.”
On solid road, Beatty has been tough to beat on a bike. She crossed the finish line first in the women’s 123 race at the Kent Park Spring Classic this past March in Tiffin. She also placed in the top t10 in several other races this summer, including 8th in the National Criterium Championship in Madison, WI.
This weekend, Beatty heads to the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Iowa City to compete in the UCI Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock, one of the largest cyclocross races in the nation. Beatty has high expectations for this weekend’s three day event.
“One of my goals is to get on the podium at least once.” Beatty said, “(Another) is to finish in the top 15 all three days of competition.”
Currently, Beatty ranks 51st in US Cycling’s National Cyclocross Rankings in the Women’s CAT 3 category. The UCI Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross Rock takes place starts this evening and runs the next three days at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Iowa City. KCII will have an update on Beatty’s performance on Monday’s Sports Page.