2007 Hodag BMX Schedule
Tuesdays & Fridays: Registration 5:30-6:30, Racing ASAP
Saturdays: Registration 11:00-12:00, Racing ASAP |
| Date |
Sponsor |
| 5/19 |
Custom Collision |
| 5/26 |
Mel's Trading Post |
| 6/2 |
Moritz Tire |
| 6/5 |
ApexBMX.com |
| 6/9 |
Rhinelander GM & Toyota |
| 6/12 |
Race |
| 6/19 |
M & R Services |
| 6/22 |
West Bay Camping |
| 6/26 |
Hoffhein-Jefferson Memorial Race |
| 6/29 |
Bugsy's |
| 7/6 |
Mulleady Realtors
(Double Points) |
| 7/7 |
Race For Life
(Double Points) |
| 7/8 |
Bikes & Boards
(State Race, 2x pts.) |
| 7/10 |
Wal-Mart |
| 7/13 |
French's Vet. Care |
| 7/17 |
Cirilli Law Office |
| 7/21 |
Mid Wisconsin Bank |
| 7/24 |
Charels Vogel Enterprises |
| 7/28 |
Nichole Balgard Memorial Race |
| 7/31 |
Al's Furniture |
| 8/4 |
DCI |
| 8/7 |
Pitlick & Wick |
| 8/11 |
Bucketheads |
| 8/14 |
Race |
| 8/18 |
Ponsse North America |
| 8/21 |
Race |
| 8/25 |
Hodag Lanes |
| 8/28 |
Race |
Other Big BMX Events
|
| Date |
Location |
Sponsor |
|
| 6/10 |
Fond du Lac |
State Race |
|
6/15-
6/17 |
Rockford, IL |
Midwest Nat'ls. |
|
| 6/23 |
Central WI BMX |
Double Pts. Race |
|
| 6/24 |
Central WI BMX |
State Race |
|
| 6/30 |
Winnebagoland BMX |
Race For Life |
|
| 7/1 |
Winnebagoland BMX |
State Race |
|
| 7/14 |
Fond du Lac BMX |
Race for Life |
|
| 7/15 |
Fon du Lac BMX |
Redline Cup |
|
|
|
By Jeremy Mayo
Mikenna Koth, 13, of Rhinelander poses with her trophies from this year’s Disney BMX Cup. In three short years, Koth has gone from a beginner to one of the nation’s best riders in her age group. (Photo Courtesy of Tim Koth)
RHINELANDER – Mikenna Koth has quickly become of the top BMX riders in the nation for her age.
The 13-year-old had a breakout 2009 season, collecting two top-ten national points finishes in her age group along with several event wins. The girl they call the “Dirt Diva” has her sights set high for 2010 and beyond, with visions of Rio de Janeiro in her mind for 2016.
Beginnings
“In 2007 my little sister brought home a flyer from school and started racing,” Mikenna Koth tells HodagSports.com of how she became involved in the sport. “I watched her for about three weeks and then I decided to try. I just kind of stuck with it.”
Two months later, she won a district race in Wisconsin Rapids and took off in the sport.
Koth never had an issue with speed. Control was another matter, which earned her the nickname “Dirt Diva.”
“When I first started racing, I fell a lot,” she explains. “I was always in the dirt and got kind of mad about it. So my dad just thought of the Dirt Diva.”
Soon she was spending more time on the winner’s podium than in the dirt. She finished second in her age group in her district in 2007 and third in the State. That improved to first in 2008 as she finished 16th in National Age Group 12 Girls and picked up her first National win in Delaware.
“It’s been pretty cool,” says Mikenna’s father Tim Koth. “To watch her progression from the very first time she climbed on a bike to where she was able to get in three years, it’s pretty amazing.”
2009 Success
The wins began to pile up for Koth in 2009. Among her highlights were victories at a Red Line Cup race in Missouri, the Disney Cup in Florida and the Young Guns Invite in Indiana.
At Disney, Koth exceeded all expectations for the multiple-day event, winning the championship in both the Girls 13 and the Girls Cruiser 11-13 divisions in dominating fashion.
“If she could have come back with one of the Disney Cups, it would have been a big accomplishment,” says Tim Koth. “She won every race she was in all weekend long on both bikes. That was when I really saw her step it up.”
Koth was selected to represent Team USA at the UCI World Championships in Adelaide, Australia this past July. Racing against some of the toughest competition in the world, she barely missed qualifying for the finals. She finished fifth in her semifinal, one spot away from transferring. Still the experience was positive.
“It was very exciting, there was a lot of competition down there,” says Mikenna. “It was really great to race it. The track was amazing. They had a three-story starting hill and massive doubles (jumps) and all kinds of stuff.”
Koth got as high as second this season in the 11-13 Cruiser Division National Points. She finished the year third in that class and sixth in 13 Girls and will be receiving special recognition for those accomplishments.
“Her goal was to get a N.A.G. Plate,” Tim Koth explains. “Anyone that finishes in the top ten of their age group is able to run a gray (number) plate (on the front of their bike). It’s one of the most prestigious plates that you can earn. She was able to achieve that on both bikes.”
Mikenna will receive her plates at the Silver Dollar Nationals in Reno, Nevada in January.
Behind the Scenes
The Koth’s admit things have changed for the family as Mikenna chases her dream of being an elite rider.
Travel is one of the biggest issues with Koth racing all over the country and the world this past season.
“We’ve spent a lot of time on the road,” say Tim Koth. “Mikenna’s raced on the West Coast in California to the East Coast in Delaware. We’ve raced in Florida and Texas and as far north as Canada. We went twice to Canada this year and competed up there. My truck has a lot of miles on it and I’ve got a lot of frequent flyer miles going back and forth.”
Mikenna won the Young Guns Invite in Hobart, Indiana on December 12, but it took plenty of effort to get her there in time for the start of the race. It included an all-night drive from Dallas, where Tim Koth was staying on business.
“There wouldn’t have been enough time for me to come from Dallas on Friday, back home and then get her down there by Saturday,” he explained. “She decided to come with me, which worked out pretty well.”
He added that they left Dallas at 6 PM Friday night and with the help of some coffee, they made it to the track by 11 AM Saturday for registration.
Koth still in enrolled in the Rhinelander School District, but her travel makes it difficult to be a traditional student. Instead she is enrolled in the district’s virtual program and takes classes online.
“It gives her the flexibility to travel to races throughout the school year and still keep up with her academics while we’re on the road,” Tim says. “It’s worked out really well.”
Then there is the challenge of weather. For half of the year, the Hodag BMX track is covered in snow, which makes training more difficult.
“We have a personal trainer that we see twice a week,” Mikenna says. “We do plyometrics and different things there. At home, I run the treadmill, do rollers on my bike and different stair things. There’s a track in Minnesota that races indoors. We go there three times a month and race there.”
Future
Koth’s 2010 season begins in Reno January 8-10 and will become more interesting on March 19 when she turns 14. That will move her up into the 14 Girls and the 14-16 Cruiser classes. She will have to step up her game once again to be competitive as one of the youngest competitors in her cruiser division.
“It will be hard because there are a lot of fast 16 year olds and 15 year olds that are in that class right now,” Mikenna adds. “It will be a lot tougher to get NAG (top 10) on that bike than it was this year.”
Speaking of her 2010 schedule, Mikenna says, “This year, we’re going to do a lot of Nationals. Not sure if we’ll do Worlds against. Worlds are in South Africa. We’re going to Reno in the second weekend of January. Hopefully we’ll get a couple of wins there to start the National season.”
Another goal for the upcoming season is to earn an invite to Team USA’s Olympic Training Facility as part of the Junior Development Program. Invitations are given automatically to top finishers in certain races. Team USA’s coaches can also give out special invites.
It would be the next step toward Koth’s ultimate goal.
“I’d really like to make the Olympic team,” Mikenna Koth says.
Tim Koth says it will be five years until Mikenna can attempt to make the U.S. Olympic Team, meaning she would be aiming for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janiero.
It’s a long road from Rhinelander to Brazil. But for Koth, it’s a path with plenty of miles behind her.
--
Additional Photos (Courtesy of Tim Koth)
Left: Mikenna Koth lead the field at the Young Guns Invitational earlier this month in Hobart, Indiana. Koth won the race, featuring some of the best youth riders in the country.
Right: Koth goes through the rhythm section of the track at the Red Line Cup race in Kansas City, Missouri this past July.
More Story Images: (Click the images below to enlarge.)
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Hodag BMX Wrap-up: June 15, 2009
RHINELANDER – The 2009 Hodag BMX Season continued this past week at the Hodag BMX track located at West Side Park in Rhinelander.
Mikenna Koth, Julio Ridgley and Coty Skinner each notched thei
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Hodag BMX Wrap-up: June 7, 2009
RHINELANDER – The 2009 Hodag BMX Season is underway at the Hodag BMX track located at West Side Park in Rhinelander.
Through three race days, four riders have notched three feature victories a
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