Erin Wall picked the perfect time to take her training wheels off her BMX bike this year.
The five-year-old from Prince George won a trophy that was just as tall as she was in Saturday's five-and-under novice final at the BMX Canada Northern Lights nationals at Carrie Jane Gray Park.
Because there weren't any girls entered in the girls five-and-under novice division, she found herself competing amongst the boys on her white and red micro-mini bike, the smallest BMX bike one can have.
"I just wanted to pedal as fast as I could and beat those boys," she said after the race, trophy in hand.
Wall did beat the boys in her second qualifying moto prior to the final. She said she's happy with her results in only her first year of racing. She just took the training wheels off her bike in the spring and loves the freedom of a two-wheeler on the BMX track.
"I like that you can fly over in the air," said the Grade 1 student entering High Glen Montessori school this year.
Wall was also fourth in Sunday's final.
Wall was among the more than 100 Prince George Supertrak riders who competed against more than 500 athletes from B.C., Alberta and western United States in the three-day event.
Kody Shiels, 5, won the 5-and-under novice final Saturday and received a trophy that was taller than he was.
"I pedalled as fast as I could and didn't stop," said the Edgewood elementary Kindergarten student Saturday afternoon. "I've only been racing for a year and this is my best-ever result."
He also placed second in both finals Friday and Sunday.
Ty Prest, 16 won Saturday's 16 intermediate division final after winning his first qualifying moto and advancing to the main.
"Yesterday everyone was so close to each other but I managed to pull it off," he said. "Today in the final, I had a bad gate and it was difficult to get ahead but I got a little lead."
Prest wound up sweeping the podium, winning all three of his finals, including victories Friday and Sunday.
He added having home track advantage definitely helped in his success.
"I know the corners and the best lines to take," said the Grade 11 student at PGSS.
In only his second season of racing, Brendan Hofferd, 6, won all three of his six novice division finals on the weekend.
He had to come from behind and win the final Saturday.
"I was leading at the front and then one guy went ahead and I passed him in the corner," he said. "I just had to focus on my race."
Wyatt Cameron, 10, finished second in Saturday's 10-year-old intermediate division final and won the final Friday and Sunday.
He survived a scare in Saturday's first qualifying moto race.
"I leaned forward and my tires spun out at the start gate," he said. "I just tried to pedal as fast as I could, stayed low in the corners and caught up. It was good to come back and I'm pretty good at passing people."
Up next for the Prince George athletes is the Grand Nationals in Chilliwack on Thanksgiving weekend.
