Okotoks planted its flag on the national BMX scene yet again this summer.
Isabella Bregliano and Sophia Gibbs earned podium finishes in the challenge women’s 15-year-old category to highlight a four medal and six N-plate performance from the Okotoks BMX Club at the 2019 Canadian Championships last month in Toronto.
“On the track we’re super close,” Bregliano said. “Here you can tell we’re like best friends, but on the track we’re in our own zone just going at it.”
There were six competitors in the age category with three motos used to select the winning riders. Bregliano was first in all three motos to clinch the national gold medal.
“It wasn’t my first time going to the track and I felt faster on it,” said Bregliano. “I tried new tricks like manualing and jumping and the next day we got to do what’s called the Canada Cup, where we get to go off the supercross hill so that was pretty fun.”
Gibbs finished sixth in the first moto and then put forth consecutive place finishes to earn the overall bronze.
“It was my very first time going to the Toronto track,” Gibbs said. “I’ve been to nationals before, but this track was different to me and there was the supercross, which is a world cup classed hill. Compared to this (Okotoks) track it’s almost double the size (of start hill) so that was a new experience.
“And there was a lot of girls we haven’t raced before, so you’re learning and having the new environment.”
Bregliano, Gibbs and Okotoks’ Tristan Storey are also members of Team Alberta, coached by Karsten Millman who conducts camps and coaching sessions with the athletes before each of the provincial racing series as well as lending a hand at nationals.
“We have to put in a résumé and tell them how we’ve done in the past,” Bregliano said. “And why we want to go on the Alberta team and why we want to improve our skills.”
Bregliano also earned her way to the BMX World Championships in Eusden-Zolder, Belgium in late July.
“It was really fun and really hot, like 44 degrees,” she said. “It was a new experience. The track was very lippy, so it was kind of steep, you had to either jump it or manual it or you were going to be far behind on the track.”
The dynamic duo weren’t the only Okotokians bringing home hardware from Ontario.
Ryan Mysek also earned the national gold in the 17-24 cruiser division, finishing second, first and second in his three motos to come out on top. Storey earned the bronze in the challenge men’s 14-year-old division. Also adding N-plates as top finishers were Giuliana Bregliano and Briony Fokkens.
Okotoks racers head into overdrive to close the summer with a busy schedule on-deck featuring the Airdrie Provincial 5 and 6 event this weekend followed by Calgary Provincials on Aug. 17-18 and the Cochrane Grans and Provincial Championship on Sept. 7-8.
For more information on the club go to Okotoksbmx.com
