Competing in the Bendigo BMX Club’s biggest annual event, the Bendigo Gold Rush, local riders scored many podium finishes.

The 2011 world cruiser class champion Jaclyn Wilson, 14-year-old boys’ division rider Luke Blakely and nine-year-old girls’ racer Meleia Hobbs won each of their five races in their divisions on the Eaglehawk track.

“Jaclyn won every race in the elite women, and Luke Blakeley did the same in the 14 boys, he rode really well,” Bendigo BMX Club president Brett Hobbs said.

“He also rode the elite men as well, so he had a real crack.”

Blakely finished ahead of three other Bendigo riders in the 14s boys, with Jordan Hall second ahead of Bailey Hunt and Michael Tucci.

Riding against the boys in the 8-year-old class, Rhian Hobbs was in contention for the overall win, but fell in the third race. The rising star recovered impressively to win her next race, helping her to finish second overall behind Ballarat-Sebastopol’s Riley Galvin.

A relative newcomer to BMX, Tom Meharry,  impressed in the nine-year-old boys, winning his first race and finishing second in the next three to place third overall.

“Tom Meharry is really coming through. He’s not long in the sport, but he’s going great guns,” Hobbs said.

Michaela Meharry was another to ride well, with her second overall in the 11-year-old girls, while Brianna Eyles was runner-up in the 13s girls.

Young gun Kailen O’Grady claimed second place in the 8-10 boys’ cruiser and the 10-year-old boys’ 20-inch.

“We had quite a few do well. Cailen O’Grady was second and Jed Seipolt was second in the 11 boys – the number one rider in Australia won that,” Hobbs said.

Zak Lythgo was the best of three Bendigo riders in the five sprocket division, while Nash Lythgo finished runner-up ahead of fellow home track rider Ella Meharry in the U5 sprocket.

Samuel Aherne took  out the six sprocket, while  Luka Batson won the seven sprocket ahead of clubmate Luke Fitzgerald.

“There were about 150 riders. The group of volunteers from the club excelled,” said Hobbs.

“A lot of people were coming up congratulating us on a really good event and a lot of them were saying how much better it was run than a lot of other meets.”