I agree here regarding the 2 bike choices. However, I would seriously consider how much money you want to put into a hardtail, considering your age and the amount of MTB 100s you plan on doing. Once you get over $3,000 for a hardtail you’re getting into some pretty high end components that don’t have a massive improvement over the step down. Racing hardtails in MI/Midwest are for two types of people, those fighting for the podium, looking to maximize efficiency and shave grams; and/or the under 40 yr old crowd. I guess a third category would be for those on a limited budget.
Having started racing with a carbon hardtail and now on a XC full suspension, you couldn’t pay me to ride/race a hardtail again. Although it may be more efficient for some of the XC races in MI, it also beats you up especially for MTB 100s. I’m racing Expert in MI on a full suspension as are most of my competition. I would consider your purchase of this hardtail as your first race bike and you may be in the market for a full suspension in the next year or two. If it were my money I’d be looking for a used hardtail for $2,000 or a used full suspension for around $3,000-$4,000, rather than a new hardtail for $3,000+. Hell, I’ll sell you my 2018 Scott Spark RC 900 WC next year as soon as Scott releases the 2022 version, lol.