Kelsey (top) and brother Lain (bottom) lead their individual Amateur divisions going in to this weekend's National Championships for BMX Racing.
It's not unreasonable to predict that both Lain and Kelsey could be two of the 5-person U.S. Olympic team for the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo," USA BMX CCO Craig "gOrk" Barrette says. "BMX Racing has been their life."
Gilbert, AZ (PRWEB) November 26, 2013
Both professional BMX racers and Olympians from all over the World will be joining North America’s fastest amateur racers this weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to compete for the illustrious USA BMX No.1 Championships. Over half of the 48 competitors from last year’s London Olympic Games are expected to compete, alongside more than 3,500 amateur entries, representing over 45 states and fifteen countries.
Amongst those thousands of competitors are two experienced BMX riders from Federal Way, who have already set a few records in this action sport. For the first time ever in BMX history, a brother/sister combo are leading the National point standings coming in to the final race of the season. LAIN and KELSEY VanOGLE currently sit atop the points standings in the Amateur Boy and Amateur Girl points. To accumulate those points, they've competed all around the country this year to position themselves for the Championship title.
For 17 year old Lain - a freshman at Marian University in Indianapolis, IN., on a cycling scholarship, this final weekend of the USA BMX season could be bittersweet, as he is still recovering from an ankle injury suffered this August while training. While he is hoping for the best - to be able to compete, the elder VanOgle sibling will decide whether or not he can race after Thursday's practice sessions.
Younger sister Kelsey - a former student at Camelot Elementary in Federal Way, is no stranger to chasing down a National No.1 title. Twice she has been the No.1 Girls Cruiser champion - in 2010 and 2012. (A "cruiser" bike has 24-inch wheels, compared to the standard 20" wheeled BMX bicycle.) This is the first time Kelsey has been the favorite for the No.1 Girls title.
Both VanOgle kids are no stranger to having a No.1 ranking in the sport - but it has usually come under the "Age Group" classification. Between the two of them, since first racing BMX ten years ago, they've accumulated over 23 NAG (National Age Group) No.1 titles - a winning record that is unmatched by any family in the sport.
The eight National Championships will be decided this Thanksgiving weekend, during the USA BMX Grandnationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma - at the newly re-named River Spirit Expo. Riders from around the globe will converge in Tulsa for what has been dubbed for decades as "The Greatest Race on Earth." Last year’s event saw a record turnout, with over 3,400 entries from 18 countries, and this year’s event is expected, for the first time, to reach the milestone 700-race mark.
Spending every Thanksgiving in Oklahoma is nothing new to the VanOgle family - as they've done so for the past ten years. Ironically, it was twn years ago this year that they attended their first Grands - and a 7 year old Lain crashed in practice and was unable to compete. But despite the occasional obstacles of injuries, the entire VanOgle clan has kept at it and have their dreams set on future Olympic competition.
The world will find out this Sunday - December 1st, whether Lain or Kelsey VanOgle will bring home another National No.1 Championship to the Great Northwest. For those not able to make the trek to Tulsa - the racing action can be seen live, online at: usabmx.com/webcast
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ABOUT USA BMX: Formed in 1977 as The American Bicycle Association, USA BMX is headquartered in Gilbert, Arizona, and organizes BMX racing for boys, girls and adults, throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. With over 70,000 active members who compete on a weekly basis at over 370 racing facilities in 49 states, the family-oriented Olympic sport of BMX Racing continues to grow.
USA BMX, with a 30 event national race schedule, is the largest promoter of action sports in the country.