USA BMX Rookie Pro Class of 2020

Filed under General on February 12, 2020 | Comment(s)

They have sweat, bled, ached, and dreamed of becoming the next era of BMX racing stars. And at the turn of the decade they have a chance to take their first gates into the realm of professional BMX Racing. The Rookie Pro Class of 2020 has names that many remember as the 9-year-olds destroying the national scene. Some are children of living legends, and others amateur title holders, but they're ready to take on the big dogs. The one constant for these rookies, and all of BMX, is the love and excitement of seeing those four lights and a wide open track.

Let’s meet the 2020 USA BMX Rookie Pros

Spencer Cole -  A Pro

DK Bicycles, Fly Racing, Leatt, Lake Cycling, Promaxx, 44 BMX, HT Components, Profile, ODI Alienation, BOX, KMC, Rennen, Taco Bar FL, SCOTT

Flashback to 5-year-old Spencer Cole, ripping around Dayton Indoor, dreaming of becoming a professional BMX racer. That little tyke has grown up on two wheels representing the DK Bicycles colors the whole way and with the added support of Mr. and Mrs. Cole and his coach, Arielle Martin, Cole had this to say about his move to A Pro, “After years of fighting for NAG plates, SX open victories, and recently racing the Junior Men class, I’m ecstatic to take the next step in my career with those people by my side.” 

With the experience of racing SX Open and Junior Men, Cole now knows how important a total point transfer system is  in regards to consistent laps. “Something that I personally look to improve on is my racing craft around the track, meaning, avoiding unfavorable decisions in certain situations and taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves,” Says Cole. While he is excited to battle it out for the top spots all season long, he is also aware of the talent that is joining him in the A Pro class and seeks out additional knowledge from his new class to become the role model he once looked up to. Looking past his Rookie year, Cole is excited for the future of his career and with the gained experience of 2020, he hopes to expand his racing internationally to one day represent Team USA on the world stage. While we won’t see Cole for the Pro opener in Phoenix, AZ, he will be making his debut at his home track of Sarasota BMX for the Gator Nationals.

Jesse Welch - A pro

Hyper Snafu BMX

Donovan Long has added another one. Jesse Welch will be sporting the orange sleeves for his rookie season, where he looks to take his BMX career to the next step. With plans to hit all of the big stops on the USA BMX Pro Series, Welch is keeping his shift into the Pro scene simple by continuing his training schedule that led him to success during his amatuer career. Similar to his training schedule, Welch looks to not change things up too much with his goals: “my goals for this year are to continue to have fun while racing my bike and to stay consistent.” says Welch, “Rookie Pro of the Year would be awesome though.” With a new ride and team, Welch is looking to outside of the United States to race internationally during his rookie season, if not, using the gained experience to make that a reality for 2021. 

Daleny Vaughn - Elite Women

316 Racing/ DK Bicycles, Fly Racing, Aztec Fire and Safety, Havoc Goggles, BOX, Onyx Hubs, Wicked Audio

With a move up to the Elite Women, a new sponsor followed for Daleny Vaughn. The newest 316 Racing/DK Bicycles rider is ready to take on the fastest women in racing, with the experience she gained in the Junior Women’s class, “it gave me the opportunity to race the World Cup in Rockhill which was a learning experience but I also realized that in order to compete with the Elite Women, I should be out there racing with them to grow,” says Vaughn. Accompanied by her racing partners Dylon and Corben Vaughn and the added training help of Vet Pro, Tyler Brown, Vaughn is gaining confidence after each gate she takes. 

Gaining experience in the Elite class is the focus of Vaughn and we saw that first hand during Round 1 & 2 of the UCI BMX World Cup. Vaughn got hot lap experience off the 8-meter hill down under against the best of the best. And with the USA BMX Pro Series kicking off in her home state at Black Mountain BMX, the chances of a strong start to her Rookie year is high.

Jena Sagendorf - Elite Women

The Elite Women class is gaining one of the nicest people in BMX, but don’t let that fool you. With a step up in training, bike time, and the confidence of her best year yet in 2019, Sagendorf is here to make mains and boost her into an even better year in 2021. In regards to the 8-meter hill Sagendorf had this to say: “It's been 4 years since I've been able to ride a supercross hill, so I want to get some practice in this summer so I can race the SX series next year!” While she is focusing on staying consistent and having fun in this new experience throughout the year, Sagendorf is also searching for a new team to support her childhood dreams of racing Elite. With or without a sponsor, she plans to compete at essentially all USA BMX Pro Series Nationals where she will have plenty of opportunities to gain confidence, speed, and have fun. When she’s not training or competing at Nationals across the country, you can find Sagendorf teaching her 4th Grade class and engraving a passion for education and sport through cycling.

Riley House - A Pro

Rockstar Rift Tangent, Fly Racing, Shimano, Answer, Alienation, Onyx, Tioga, 100 Percent, Gform, Custom Racing 

In the history books, the 2019 USA BMX Amateur National Champion will forever be known as the 2x 17-20 NAG 1, Riley House. But since he was 5 years old beginning in the novice class the goals in mind was to race the fastest in the world at the pro level: “With the help of my parents who have always supported me, my sponsors, and my trainer, Hunter Pelham, we all believe it’s time to take the next step forward.” says House. While holding the silver cup on the Grands stage does come with some clout in the BMX world, House knows the challenges ahead of him looking to maintain a consistent Rookie season with his idols turned rivals. Heading to all of the Nationals on the Pro series, the New Rockstar Rift Tangent racer will be battling it out to put the black and gold of his new team in the Tangent Pro/AMs and US-based World Cups.

        As far as his goals going into the 2020 series, on top of finishing Top 3 in November, House is looking to upgrade to holding gold on the Grands stage as the 2020 Rookie Pro of the Year, as well as gaining confidence in order to move up to the Elite Men class for 2021.

Carly Kane - Elite Women

DK Bicycles, JW Bicycle Products, Fly Racing, BOX, Gate Nine Design, Lake Cycling, E6 Racing Components, KMC Chain, Hot Shoppe Designs

Like so many others in the 2020 Rookie Pro class, Carly Kane fell in love with the big hills and high intensity racing of Junior Elite. With an unfortunate birthday, Kane was faced with a decision: stay amateur and miss out on big hill racing for an entire season, or move up and battle with the best in the world as an Elite Women. She choose the latter and had this to say about those who helped in the decision: “My family and all of the guys at DK have been supportive unconditionally. Without their support, I definitely wouldn’t be making the jump into Elite. I’m forever grateful!” 

Coming into the 2020 season a year behind where she would like to be, Kane knows the work she needs to put in and the new experiences that will come with racing at the Elite level. “I really just want to give the big girls a run for their money. I want to focus on bettering myself both on and off the track. Snagging a couple of podiums would be incredible”, Kane said when asked about her goals for the year. Ultimately the DK Bicycles rider is focused on working hard to get to the level she believes is necessary to be ready for the seven other riders in the gate.

Cameron Wood - Elite Men

Mongoose / USA BMX Foundation, Fly Racing, 100%, BOX, Tangent Products

After a dominating career in Junior Elite, it is no surprise the newest Mongoose/USA BMX Foundation rider would join the world of professional BMX racing. However, Cameron Wood is taking his Rookie season straight to the top by leaving his rookie pro classmates at the kids table while he battles it out with the best of the best. “After talking about it with my coach, we thought the best decision for my long term development was to turn Elite Men and gain experience lining up with some of the fastest riders in the worlds,” says Wood. The challenge of jumping straight into Elite Men is not lost on Wood, he’ll be focused on all aspects of his riding to become the well rounded rider required to compete at the Elite Level.

Whether it be power, cornering, skill, or preparation, Wood will have plenty of chances to improve and perfect his craft at the pro level, as he is planning on hitting all of the USA BMX Pro Series Nationals, as well as, the World Cup in Rockhill, South Carolina. As the one of the three new Mongoose/USA BMX Foundation team members, you can also expect to see Wood sharing his passion for BMX racing to students through off track work with the USA BMX Foundation.

Ashley Hayes - Elite Women

Ride Co Bike Shoppe, V3Gate, Dexcom, Supercross. Box, Fly Racing, Speedline, Hot Shoppe, Total Body Works 

If there is a BMX family that knows what it takes to reach the top of the sport, it’s the Hayes Family. Along with her sister, Ashley Hayes is no stranger to flying high off the 8-meter hill, especially with the confidence that comes after racing in the Junior Women’s class combined with the 2019 Elite Women. However, the official move up to the Elite Women’s class brings new and always changing challenges to each and every race. Thanks to Hayes’ parents and trainer, the move up will just be another training session: “My personal trainer, John Marshall, has helped me in the decision process too. He always trains me in a way to prepare me for every race and any new class, as well as new challenges.”says Hayes. Being able to accept challenges ahead of her and staying competitive with the fastest ladies in the class are goals Hayes has in mind for her rookie season; both of which will position her nicely to qualify for the 2020 World Championships in Houston.

Her goal of a World Championship qualification will only be made easier with her experience gained after competing at every USA BMX Pro Series Nationals in 2020, along with both her and her sister traveling internationally to Great Britain and the Netherlands for the World Cup circuit. “Gaining some international experience, plus the experience in those race environments will help me improve and gain a different perspective!” said Hayes.

Emily Hayes - Elite Women

 Ride Co Bike Shoppe, Fly Racing, BOX, V3 Gate, Supercross, Dexcom, Total Body Works

        Training and competing side by side her sister, Emily Hayes is also making the jump to the Pro level after getting a taste for the Elite class during her year in Junior Women. Her decision to turn Pro, while in part was due to her one year restriction in Junior Women, was made with help from her parents and trainer, John Marshall, to take the next step forward. With her family and trainer behind her and her sister beside her during their rookie year, Emily is aware of the challenges ahead of her especially when it comes to the North American Supercross Series races. Hayes had this to say about what she needs to focus on to be competitive, “To be competitive at the Pro level, I need to get more comfortable in the air, especially next to other riders.” As many mains as possible and a World Championship qualification are the goals for Hayes in her rookie season, however, she is looking to use this first year to fine-tune her bike skills and gain experience racing her new rivals in the Elite Women’s class. Whether it be the USA BMX National Series, World Cups across the pond, or the World Championships in Houston, The Hayes sisters are ready to prove themselves on a whole new level.

Cam Mason - A Pro

FLY Racing,  BOX

Joining his fellow Junior Elite comrades into the world of professional BMX racing. Cam Mason made the decision to take the next step towards his goals with the help of his trainer, as well as some familiar names, Cole Tesar and Tyler Brown. With his mind on becoming the best he can be, his first straight and building his motor in the gym will become his main focus as he works to accomplishing the goals he set for himself as a young rider in BMX racing. “My goals for this season is to make all of my mains and podiums. I will also be racing in the final world cup at my home track in Rock Hill, SC, and would like to try to make it to quarters or further.” says Mason. Unfortunately after a crash at the Chula Vista Training Center Mason’s rookie season won’t kick off in Phoenix, AZ, instead, we will see his debut at the Carolina Nationals, March 26-28, then at  every USA BMX Pro Series National afterwords, including the final World Cup at Rockhill, SC.