Freeburn’s title caps Colorado High School Cycling League state championships

Sunday, Oct 21, 2018 7:16 PM Updated Monday, Oct. 22, 2018 12:31 AM

Durango clinches second consecutive Division 2 crown

Cobe Freeburn of Durango High School led everyone, including Boulder’s Bjorn Riley, during the majority of Sunday’s varsity boys state championship race of the Colorado High School Cycling League. Freeburn, a junior, rolled in for a comfortable win and helped the Demons secure a second consecutive state title in Division 2.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Riders, led by Durango’s Cobe Freeburn and anchored by Animas’ Riley Amos, make their way up the fly-over section of the course Sunday during the varsity boys state championship race at Durango Mesa.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Aleah Austin of Durango High School crosses the finish line winning the sophomore girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Aleah Austin of Durango High School reacts after winning the sophomore girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Aleah Austin of Durango High School is congratulated after winning the sophomore girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Kelsey Nicholson, center, of Durango High School battles it out placing seventh in the sophomore girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Harley Blevins of Battle Mountain High School places second in the sophomore girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Fans cheer on the sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Thorin Howell of High Desert Devo from Cortez, placed third in the sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Ethan Ash of East High School races in the sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Ethan placed fourth in the race. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Payton Wilkerson of Estes Park wins the sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Zach Footer of Evergreen High places second in the sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Ethan placed fourth in the race. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Thorin Howell of High Desert Devo from Cortez, pushes hard to the finish line placing third in the sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Ruth Holcomb, left, of Durango High School is all smiles before the start of the varsity girls race in the Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Spectators cheer on the on the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Ruth Holcomb of Durango High School rides in the varsity girls race during the Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Sage Davis of Animas High School rides in the varsity girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Ruth Holcomb of Durango High School rides in the varsity girls race during the Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Sadie Schafer of Animas High School rides in the varsity girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Ada Urist, right, of Fairview High School beats out Madigan Munro of Boulder High School to win the varsity girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Sage Davis of Animas High School feels the pain of finishing the varsity girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Sage placed eighth in the race. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Ruth Holcomb of Durango High School placed fourth in the varsity girls Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Ruth immediately after finishing the race filed a protest. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

The Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Riders in the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship ride past the campground on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Henry Haggart of Animas High School competes in the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Spectators keep a close watch on the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Fun times at the Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Riders in the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship make their up the fly-over on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Cobe Freeburn of Durango High is mobbed by friends and family after winning the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Cobe Freeburn of Durango High gets a big hug from his dad Mike Freeburn after winning the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Bjorn Riley, left, of Boulder and Cobe Frreeburn of Durango race in the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

John White of Animas High School competes in the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Cobe Freeburn of Durango High School leads Bjorn Riley of Boulder during the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Riders in the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship make their way down the fly-over on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Ryan Campbell of Golden places second in the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Jared Scott of Boulder places third in the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Riley Amos, left, of Animas High School, competes in the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa. Photo by Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Six months ago to the day, Cobe Freeburn was in a hospital with a broken leg after a bicycle versus car accident. Sunday, the Durango High School junior was back on his bike in one of the best performances of his life.

Freeburn went wire-to-wire to win the Colorado High School Cycling League varsity boys mountain bike state championship Sunday at Durango Mesa Park. He gave the Durango High team 575 points to help solidify the team’s second consecutive Division 2 state championship in the league, and the DHS team surrounded one of their heroes to celebrate the state title on home soil.

“It was so fun having a home race, and I felt awesome today,” Freeburn said. “We cemented the win today for the team, and it’s awesome to be part of.”

Durango scored 4,846 points during the weekend that started with Colby Simmons’ win in the freshman boys race. Animas High was second with 4,233 points, and Highlander Composite was third with 4,034 points. Boulder won Division 1 with 7,479 points, while Fairview High, also of Boulder, was second with 6,913 points. Golden was third with 6,426 points.

For Freeburn, Sunday’s win capped off a tough year in which he couldn’t walk for more than two months after the accident forced him out of the peak of the summer mountain bike season.

“Exactly six months ago today, I got hit by a car and broke my leg,” he said. ‘I was riding up on 3rd (Avenue) near the Smiley Building. It was a dumb mistake on my part. I rode in front of a lady, and she hit the back of my bike. I flew off and shattered my leg. This year, it was a little tough those first few high school races, but every race, I got better and better I’m super happy to pull this off here.”

Cobe Freeburn of Durango High gets a big hug from his dad Mike Freeburn after winning the varsity boys Colorado Cycling League state championship on Sunday on Durango Mesa.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

Freeburn’s win capped off a huge weekend of mountain biking, as 822 young mountain bikers hit the trails in the first-ever high school league race held in Durango. Freeburn fought off Animas High School junior and reigning cross-country mountain bike junior men’s 15-16 national champion Riley Amos, as Amos eventually faded to fourth place at the finish line.

Freeburn came to the finish line alone in 1 hour, 47 minutes, 6.54 seconds after more than 28 miles of racing. He was 28 seconds ahead of Golden sophomore Ryan Campbell and 39 seconds in front of Boulder junior Jared Scott.

Amos was the south conference champion during the regular season, and he was set to start Sunday’s race from the front row. But he missed his call-up and was penalized by being sent to the middle of the 89-rider field for the race. He had to give everything he had to get back into the top five at the halfway mark of the first lap. He eventually finished fourth in 1:48:16.36.

Animas’ Riley Amos, left, and Durango’s Cobe Freeburn were alone at the front of the varsity boys race on the last lap, but Amos’ big effort on the first lap caught up to him, as he finished fourth, while Freeburn rode to a state title.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

“I mistimed my warm-up,” Amos said. “I think I got there like three minutes late, and they were already calling people up. I felt like an idiot. It was my mistake, and I paid for it. I felt good today and definitely could’ve been there for the win, but I gave it my all, and I’m happy with fourth.

“I basically set a new max heart rate for 15 minutes straight. I was in the grass, outside the trail going as hard as I possibly could. I probably passed 40 people in 15 minutes. I went so hard, I was about to blackout and couldn’t focus enough. The start killed me.”

Amos was thrilled to see his friend Freeburn come through with a state championship performance. He helped the Animas Ospreys to a second-place finish in Division 2.

“Cobe knew we were all petering off. He felt out the race and gave everything he had,” Amos said. “It’s well deserved. He’s been strong all year, but he was something else today.”

Also for Animas in the varsity boys race was Simon Donnaway, who placed 25th in 1:58:23.18.

There were 160 boys in Sunday’s sophomore boys race that was won by Peyton Wilkerson of Estes Park. He completed two laps on the 7.1-mile course in 55:11.66, 31 seconds ahead of Evergreen’s Zach Footer. Thorin Howell of the High Desert Devo composite team made up of riders from Cortez, Dolores and Mancos was third in 55:59.78. Howell lives in Cortez.

Thorin Howell of High Desert Devo from Cortez pushes hard to the finish line to place third in the sophomore boys Colorado Cycling League state championship race Sunday at Durango Mesa.

Jerry McBride/Durango Herald

“It was a challenge,” Howell said. “There was good competition out there. I had more nerves, and this was definitely bigger with more on the line than any other race, but I just went out and had fun.”

Animas’ Leit Schafer was the top-Durango rider in the sophomore boys class, as he finished 26th in 1:00:20.66. Durango’s Hayes Linney placed 37th in 1:01:32.50.

Across the board, it was a banner weekend for Durango mountain biking at a beautiful, never-before-used venue at Durango Mesa Park. A three-year quest to bring a Colorado League race to town proved fruitful, and league executive director Kate Rau said the league will definitely return to Durango for the state championships next season, if Durango will have it.

jlivingston@durangoherald.com