Young New Zealand BMX riders get the better over Australia

With New Zealand BMX riders Marc Willers and Sarah Walker on top of the world rankings, tomorrow’s kiwi stars have been dominating their counterparts across the Tasman.

The BMX New Zealand team has taken out the Mighty 11 Trans Tasman Test in emphatic fashion at the weekend 118 to 77 at Liverpool, Sydney at the weekend.

The team of 11 year olds comprising Maynard Peel and Cody Lush (both Sunset Coast), Jayden Fleming and Bailey Davis (both Papakura) and Mark Harland-Croft (Taupo) won all five motos against their Australia.

Peel, from the Waiuku-based club, proved the star with a brilliant performance, winning all five motos to establish the platform for his teammates.

He was backed up with podium finishers from Lush, Davis and Fleming to dominate the day.

They won the opening moto 29-19 finishing in the top four placings which set the tone for the rest of the day, winning the other motos 22-17, 23-16, 22-17 and 22-17.

Australia gained some credit in winning the girls’ scholarship event 115-65 with Queensland’s Sara Jones the outstanding performer with five straight wins. The best of the kiwis was Tauranga’s Lisa Roguski with two podiums.

As well as competing in the test series, the BMX New Zealand group also took part in age group racing at the meet.

Peel continued his great form to win the Mighty 11 Class final with Lush fourth, Harland-Croft fifth and Fleming sixth while Davis won the B final.

Dunedin’s Jordan Donaldson won the girls 11 years final, with Roguski second in the 13 years final and New Plymouth’s Jendi Frank fourth.

This gives New Zealand wins in the last three Mighty 11s series, a trans tasman contest staged twice a year for more than two decades, with the next test in Gisborne over Labour Weekend in October held in conjunction with the North Island Championships.