HE might have been physically drained, but Bathurst BMX Club junior Dom Pappas still had a smile on his face at the completion of the Hawkesbury State Series round on Sunday.
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It was because he had made his first semi-final since entering the ranks of competitive racing.
The seven-year-old Bathurst rider made his competitive debut in February at a round of the national series, gaining experience in a strong field which included many older competitors.
Two months on as Hawkesbury hosted the third round of the BMX NSW State Series, Pappas showed just how much he had developed.
"This is his best meeting yet, he made the semi which was unreal. It's his first time out of motos, let alone going as far as the semis, and he had a quarter-final as well," fellow Bathurst BMX Club rider Hayley Wolfenden said.
"He was so excited, but at the end of it he was pretty stuffed too. He rode out of his skin.
"He's racing against kids that are potentially up to 12 months older than him too, so that makes him have to work harder. When you're a kid, even six months is a very big difference in physical development."
READ MORE: Pappas will step up to competitive riding
READ MORE: Wolfenden wins a nail-biter at Macarthur
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Pappas placed fourth, second then third in his three qualifying motos - an effort which saw him earn a spot in the quarter-finals.
He placed fourth in that quarter-final to go on to the semis, where he finished eighth on tired legs.
"It shows how much ability is there, we've just got to capitalise now on what he's shown, maximise it," Wolfenden said of Pappas.
"You'd hope that means he knows he can do it now."
While Pappas' effort was impressive, he was not the only Bathurst rider to find success.
Wolfenden went undefeated across the day in her 25-29 women's class, clinching success in the decider with her fastest ride of the event.
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Bradley Martin improved as he went too, managing a third in the last of his 12 boys motos.
Joel Goulding, contesting his first event of the year, placed second in the men's 17-24 final.
Goulding had qualified after a first and two seconds in his moto, then another second in his semi-final.
In the final finished a length behind ACT champion Daniel Morris.
