The Alexandra BMX club had a successful performance at the North Island Championships in Cambridge.
Having sent 11 representatives, the club finished the event with five plates, which were awarded to the top eight in their category. Ben James (aged 10 boys) claimed a second place, Lachie James (11-12 boys cruiser) and Tamai Riwhi (7 girls) had thirds, while Holly Oldham (13 girls) and Talia Nelson (9 girls) both finished fourth in their events.
The event was one of the biggest on the national BMX calendar, rating below only the Oceania and national championships. Club president Tony Nelson said it was a huge achievement.
"We rate the North Island title as pretty strong," he said.
"A lot of those top [North Island] riders don’t come to the South Island to do anything, whereas the South Island will always travel to the North Island to give it a go.
"So we’re pretty stoked about this really, to have a reasonable-sized group going up, to come home with five plates and for all of those plates to be in the top four."
Training was difficult in Alexandra, as it experienced hard frosts, which softened the track. The riders still tried to do what they could, however.
"These riders have been doing a bit of personal training; some of them have been doing it in a group. A bit of road work, just sprints and stuff on their bike and a bit of track work where possible, gate starts and that sort of carry on.
"They have travelled to other clubs in Canterbury to get some track time on other tracks. They’ve basically only had one club night. We’ve just been doing gates and that sort of carry on when the track’s available."
However, the commitment and personal goals of the riders helped them achieve highly. Of the six who did not win plates, all were able to better the goals they had set themselves.
Three Dunedin riders, Jacob Wadsworth, Bella Wadsworth and Tamryn Hurring-Webster, also went to the event.
