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SPORTS BRIEFS

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Friday, Jan. 24, 2014 1:03 AM
Walt Axthelm celebrated his 80th birthday last weekend by competing in the 50-plus age group of a Durango Performance Center 4 Corners Cyclocross Series race and returned to the campus of Fort Lewis College on Saturday to do it again. Axthelm spends a few minutes clearing the mud from his bike after the race.

Cortez wrestling club to accept registrations

The Cortez Wrestling Club will accept registrations for the 2014 pee wee wrestling season on Jan. 25 and Feb. 1 at the Cortez Recreation Center from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The cost to register is $55, and those registrants must have been born during the years 2000-2009.

Individuals interested in registering should bring a copy of their child’s birth certificate to sign-ups.

Wrestling starts on Feb. 10 and tournaments begin Mar. 1.

For more information, contact Misty Valdez at 970-739-4935.

M-CHS track team seeking coaches

The Montezuma-Cortez High School track team is currently seeking assistant coaches to work with sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers. For more information, contact Bob Archibeque at 970-379-9088 or Stacey Hall at 970-565-3722.

Conquistador Golf Course open three days a week

Conquistador Golf Course will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as long as weather permits. Conditions at the course are consistent with those experienced in early spring.

Basketball leagues accepting entries

The Ute Mountain Recreation Center is now accepting entries for a Men’s 40 and Over basketball league and a CO-ED basketball league.

The entry fee for both leagues is $225 and includes six guaranteed games and an end of the year tournament. Games begin on Feb. 4 at the Ute Mountain Recreation Center.

For more information, contact Jonathan at 970-564-5360.

Two Durangoans win cyclo-cross titles

Durangoans who continue to ignore the calendar brought home titles recently from the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships in Boulder.

Martha Iverson of Durango added to her list of national cyclo-cross titles, winning the 65-69 age group.

The races were held Jan. 8-12.

Eighty-year-old Walt Axthelm has to go far to find someone in his age range to compete against. He won the 80-84 category by nearly 4 minutes over the other competitor, Frederic Schmid of Waco, Texas.

Axthelm has won multiple national titles in cyclo-cross and other cycling disciplines. It was his sixth national cyclo-cross title. He placed second last year, just five months after breaking his pelvis in three places.

This year, on a frozen course that Axthelm described as having a “muddy water slime,” he was able to reclaim the title that Schmid won last year.

His advice to others wishing to continue at a high level as they age: “Don’t ever stop because it’s too hard to get going again.”

Durango annually is a force at the nationals, and this year was no exception. Troy Wells led the local pro contingent by placing 10th in the men’s pro/elite category.

Also, Fort Lewis College placed second in the overall team collegiate championships. Marian University of Indianapolis was the champion.

For a look at results of other local riders, visit durangowheelclub.com.

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