Who's the Future?

1 minute ago5 min read

Medals have been awarded, Cups have been hoisted, and the History book ink has dried. 2024 was a big year for big names throughout the sport. But on the back side of each Olympic cycle starts a new transition with a single question. Who’s next? That’s what we plan to hypothesis by analyzing which of the current 17-23 year old racers could become the next big name and answer the who’s next question.

The best BMX racers win due to a combination of physical ability, technical skill, and mental toughness. It’s with these attributes that we can separate elite riders from the rest.

BMX racing is a sprint sport, and the first few seconds of a race often determine the outcome. Top racers possess exceptional leg strength and explosive power, allowing them to generate rapid acceleration out of the start gate.

With the power comes the need to maneuver the bike in the air and through the track, putting technical ability at the top of elite racers' attributes list. Form through the start, precision track work to produce track speed, and maneuverability in the air can make all the difference in a crunch-time main event.

Strong and technical athletes bring a lot to the table, but delivering under pressure holds the table steady. Mental toughness not only on race day but also in training and recovery separates the true elites.

In 2024 we saw the best of the best on display through multiple big races but we can look directly at the USA BMX Overall to find the best examples of Physical, Technical, and Mental prowess that the future strives to match.

Cameron Wood
Kamren Larsen
Drew Polk
Izaac Kennedy
Jack Davis
Joey Leto
Corben Sharrah
Federico Villegas

Alise Willoughby
Molly Simpson
Daleny Vaughn
Lauren Reynolds
Payton Ridenour
Lexis Colby
Carly Kane
Mckenzie Gayheart

These 16 have become the faces of the sport bringing those three attributes into their seasons. Looking to join them, the racers seen in these next to few pages, apart from 2024 Rookie Pros Drew Polk and Ava Corley, will be the top amateurs we expect to make a run into the Pro classes.

With a glimmer of each attribute already, they’ve shown their ability to win but more importantly, they’ve shown that grit to grow as racers.

Drew Polk

Polk’s dedication to the sport and his engagement with fans have made him a prominent figure in the BMX racing scene. Throughout his racing journey, Polk has demonstrated consistent performance. Notably, he achieved a clean sweep at the 2021 USA BMX Grand Nationals. In his Rookie season, Polk demonstrated consistent performance, securing multiple podium finishes. Most notably, landing two podium finishes at the Legacy Nationals in Tulsa, OK. Polk finished off his rookie year in the final laps of the season, which landed him the 3rd place overall in Men Pro.

Ava Corley

Corley’s dedication and rapid progression in the sport established her as a prominent figure during her amateur career. In 2023, Corley secured a bronze medal at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Junior Women. Then, making a strong impression in the UCI BMX Racing World Cup series, earning podium finishes in the Women’s U23, placing second in Round 1, and winning Round 2 during the season opener in Rotorua, New Zealand. While her Rookie Pro season was put on pause due to injury, Corley brings a lot of promise into her sophomore season and first Olympic cycle as a professional BMX racer.

Sean Day

Beginning his BMX journey at the age of six, Day quickly ascended through the ranks, showcasing a natural talent and dedication to racing. By 15 he claimed the USA BMX Amateur Title, going on to win back-to-back World Challenge Championships. Taking on the Junior class in 2024, Day claimed the Junior National Champion title along with big hill race wins via the SuperX Open class. Day has become a favorite amongst race fans thanks to the mature demeanor attached to his goal-oriented determination. Still amateur for the 2025 season, expect to see Day make a splash off the big hill before he turns pro.

Alexis Alden

Silver Cup, World plates, and Big Hill experience put Alexis Alden on the top of the who’s next list. With growing skills progression since 2021, she has made big strides in the international field. We’ve seen Alden’s dedication to her growth in the three key attributes, with an added focus on physicality to compete with the elevated competition in the Pro classes. Continuing her Amateur racing on the USA BMX circuit for 2025, expect Alden to hit 2026 swinging as she plans to join the Women’s Pro class extra prepared.

Marshall Gehrke

A natural-born athlete, The Major has many talents, from stick and ball sports, singing, and of course, BMX. Joining the Hyper squad at the end of the 2025 season, Gehrke became a big hill hunter going four for four with wins at the Derby City and Legacy Nationals. With a busy schedule through the season, Gehrke has a lot of avenues to take his talents but selfishly we believe his future in BMX could rise to the highest levels with some international experience under his belt. We’re a Major fan no matter what but we’ll be the conductor of the Gehrke fan train.

Ethan Popovich

Technical ability at an all-time high, Ethan E-Pop Popovich has done two major things in the past year to show his pro capabilities. One was his race craft gained through countless race weekends through the 2024 season. That race craft brought him the NAG 1 title in 17-20. The second is his strength out of the gate, bringing his physical strength to match his technical ability through the track. Throughout his career, Ethan has already hit big milestones, including becoming a two-time Junior National Champion, competing internationally, and representing the U.S. BMX Racing National Team at events like the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland and in Rock Hill, SC, earning World 7 in Junior Men. With continued growth as a racer, Ethan’s jump to Pro has his fans eager to see him join the gate with the top dogs of Men Pro.

Landon Burian

One of the youngest member of our list has an absolute destain for losing. With titles already lining her trophy case, matched with big hill wins from Rock Hill and Derby City, Landon Burian already has her eyes on the top class of the sport. With a few steps still to take to fill the shoes of those who have come before her, Burian loads into 2025 with 15-16x girls and her toughest battles yet. Growing technical ability and a one lap at a time attitude with growing strength as she ages into the premier Expert Girl class, Burian has the potential to join the ranks by chipping away at her physical, technical, and mental abilities.

Matthew Weerts

Consistency is his strength. A heavy hitter in the 17-20x class early in the 2025 season, Matthew Weerts has set himself up for the 2025 season to ignite his run towards the pro dream. With work to grow his physicality and Technical ability, Weerts continues to find himself on surrounded by a strong team to help him grow. With Florida speed building up his power and technicality through training and race preparations, Weerts is in a prime spot geographically to grow his attributes into pro status. With work still to be done to fill those attribute into pro level, expect to see Weerts be right in the mix during big 17-20x battles and SuperX rips off the big hill during 2025.