Hayley Wolfenden rides to an Oceania BMX podium – Western Advocate

12 Mar 2017, 10:30 a.m.

Bathurst BMX Club rider Hayley Wolfenden earned herself a new career highlight an Oceania podium.

TWELVE months after she placed secondat the national titles, Bathurst BMX Club rider Hayley Wolfenden earned herself a new career highlight an Oceania podium.

GOOD START: Bathurst BMX Club's Hayley Wolfenden leads the way over Kiwi rival Toni James in a moto during the Oceania Championships. Photo: ANYA WHITELAW

Competing at her home track over three days of racing last weekend, the 26-year-old showed up some of her more experienced rivals.

Riding in the 17 and over womens class, she placed third in both BMX Australias national series on Friday night and the Grands Assault series on Sunday afternoon.

Though that pair of podiums was impressive, it was eclipsed by her second placing in Saturdays Oceania Championships for her class.

The result was the biggest of her BMX career thus far.

Its your home track, so its sort of strange to contemplate that it came it such a big event, she said.

Youre racing international riders. It definitely felt like something bigger than a club meet.

Its pretty much the second highest group before you turn pro, if youre not riding pro you tend to ride that group.

While a mistake on the second jump on Friday night saw Wolfenden go from first to third in her final moto, the performance still gave her confidence heading into the Oceania Championships.

With no final conducted for her class, it meant Wolfenden needed strong performances in each of her three motos.

The first race I was leading to the line where I shouldve got one extra peddle in, but I didnt, she said.

I thought I might be up for therewin after that. But the next two motos were a bit of a different story, I just got seconds and that was what decided the overall result.

If your group was small, what they did was a point score system instead of a final, so every race counts. So its even harder again, its not just a matter of making the final and pulling it all out then.

I needed to win two out of three to get first placebut second, I cant complain, thats for sure.

Wolfenden placed second in each of her three motos to be runner-upbehind undefeated New Zealand rider Toni James.

The Kiwienjoyed a clean sweep for the three events, but given her experience, Wolfenden was happy to have tested James.

The girl that beat me on Saturday, well she beat me every day, I think she said that she has been racing since was three whereas I have been racing for five years. I was Okay, youve probably got 10 years or so of racing on me.

Ive just got to work on a few tiny things and hopefully next time I will be keeping up with the experienced ones.

Wolfendens next big test will be Septembers state titles.

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Hayley Wolfenden rides to an Oceania BMX podium - Western Advocate