Local rider Jacob Stevens from Otego, NY, in the qualifying rounds at the Unadilla MX. (Submitted photo)

UNADILLA – Local rider Jacob Stevens made his community proud this past weekend as he attempted to qualify for the Unadilla MX Nationals. Stevens, a 2020 Unatego High School graduate and former wrestler on the Unatego/UV wrestling team, finished 67 out of 80 riders in the initial qualifying round. In the last chance qualifier, he placed 29 out of 40 riders, with only the top four advancing to the main races.

“I was definitely scared to make a mistake in front of everyone,” Stevens said about competing in his first Nationals event. “But, I’ve been to that track before and I have done a whole race day scenario about a 1,000 times so it was nice to let my muscle memory take over and enjoy the day, exciting to say the least. It was also cool to see where I’m at and where I should be, definitely gives me confidence for the future and what I can do with it.”

Stevens gives credit to his dad for his early influence in the sport of Motocross. He was heavily hooked on the sport watching at a young age. From there, his dad was a major stepping stone in helping him become active in the sport himself. Stevens started actively racing in 2016-17 at Pro Ams and loves the adrenaline of competing, similar to being on a wrestling mat.

While he has pushed himself hard physically, Stevens has been focused on becoming more comfortable on his bike, using trial and error to improve and prepare for future races.

He said he was happy just to compete at Unadilla MX in front of a home crowd, not expecting to place highly, but determined to enjoy the experience and prove something to himself.

“Never quit when it gets hard, is something I would tell anyone interested in the sport,” Stevens said. “I look forward to staying involved, either pushing myself to compete more or staying where I am. I just love it.”