Durango DEVO’s eight graduating seniors reflected on their time with the cycling club recently.
Lauren Aggeler, Hannah Garvey, Bailey Cioppa, Shaw Kassay, Riley Jaber, Ivan Sippy, Jack Lootens and Ben MacKenzie all talked about some of their favorite memories in the program, coaches who guided them and their plans fo the future.
They also offered advice to up-and-coming high school riders.
“The DEVO trip that started my love for cycling was in 2016 for the Crested Butte Wildflower Classic,” Aggeler said. “I had started DEVO earlier that spring and was still trying to get into the groove of everything. This trip showed me just how amazing bikes are and the beautiful places they can take you! It was my first-ever mountain bike race, and I got to race my now lifelong friends Sage Davis and Abbey Shepard! They both smoked me, but I just remember how rewarding I felt at the finish line and the magic of looking around and seeing all my friends supporting me. The relationships you make in cycling are huge, and DEVO helped me to create some of the best friendships I will probably ever have.”
“There are so many amazing coaches that work for Durango Devo so it’s hard to highlight only one, but if I had to it would definitely be Sam Vickery,” Garvey said. “Sam was there throughout my whole high school racing career and was the coach I would go to for anything from warm up advice to life advice.”
Jaber also said Vickery made a significant impact on him.
Cioppa said coach Cara Kropp impacted her.
“She was there through U14 as well as U19 and almost all the NICA races,” Cioppa said. “I enjoyed going to practice every week because I had a coach like her to look up to and take us on all the adventures. She was always the coach that we told everything to (all the drama) and understood us.”
MacKenzie and Kassay, meanwhile, were influenced by coaches Rob Nichols and Max Bechtold.
“I've been riding with them since middle school, which would be right around seven years ago, and I believe these two have made some of the largest contributions to the rider I am today,” MacKenzie said.
“There were so many special moments and people so it is really hard to name just one, but I would say that NICA (high school league) was probably some of the most fun I've ever had on a bike, and it made me fall in love with racing which has definitely shaped my future a lot,” Sippy said.
And now that they’re leaving the program, their advice to incoming high school team riders is to enjoy their time in the program and talk to everyone.
“If I could offer any words of advice to the incoming NICA racers, I would like to say enjoy every moment,” Jaber said. “Enjoy every moment of your time doing the things you love because before you know it you'll be an adult. Also, be nice. Be nice to those around you and cherish your relationships. Kindness can go a long way, and you never know who could need it most.”
“Talk to as many kids in your group as you can,” Kassay said. “Everyone is there to have a good time and meet new people. The more people you talk to the more lifelong friends you will make.”
While the seniors have graduated, many plan to continue biking in college.
Cioppa, who won the women’s varsity state championship this year, will stay in Durango and ride for Fort Lewis College.
“I will be majoring in biology as well as racing the mountain bike collegiate season with them and maybe some cyclocross,” Cioppa said. “Although it might take me a bit longer to graduate I plan on taking the spring off so I can focus more on racing and on the international side.”
Sippy, the state’s third-place finisher in the men’s varsity division, will head to Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction and ride for the Skyhawks’ biggest rival.
Garvey and Lootens both plan to ride for Western Colorado University in Gunnison.
“I will be riding for Western’s bike team and hopefully participating in their mountain rescue team as well,” Garvey said.
Aggeler will ride for Northern Arizona University, where she will be part of the school’s honors program.
MacKenzie plans on joining the club team at Colorado School of Mines, where he’ll study mechanical engineering. “I plan on joining their club mountain bike team and racing downhill for the school while training and riding to compete in enduro for myself,” Mackenzie said.
Jaber, meanwhile, will attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Kassay said he plans to stick around and work in Durango for another year and then attend welding school at Montana State.
“I will miss the long adventure rides with the team the most,” Lootens said. “Getting to be out with the team on all-day rides is really what got me through long training blocks deep in the season.”
“I always loved the stoke around riding bikes, whether that was for racing or just for riding, I felt DEVO always did a stellar job of keeping kids excited about being on their bikes, and having that community to fully immerse yourself in is something I'll miss a lot,” MacKenzie said.
