Interlake locals cross finish line at MBMX season finale
Local racers kicked up the dirt one last time where it all began this summer in the Manitoba Motocross circuit.
Grunthal MX, the host site for the season opener in May, also served as the final stop of the season on Aug. 24. Riders battled muddy terrain and sharp turns as they made one last push for a trophy.
Petersfield’s Austen Croy was one of several Interlake locals chasing hardware after collecting top-six finishes earlier in the year.
Competing in both the 250cc Junior and Open Junior divisions, Croy earned another pair of top-10 results at Grunthal — sixth in the 250cc Junior (based on combined morning and afternoon races) and ninth in the Open Junior.
The 16-year-old capped his third season on the circuit with an eighth-place finish in the 250cc Junior standings and seventh overall in the Open Junior.
Croy now heads into the offseason with his sights set higher.
“I definitely want to be first,” he said. “This year was another learning year. Last year was my first year racing junior. This year I’ve been training with Bryce Wadge. He’s helped me out a lot and we’ve worked our way up to top five, top 10, which was amazing.”
Training with a Triple Crown Series professional like Wadge underscores his commitment. Unlike many of his peers, Croy didn’t grow up in MBMX youth events, instead spending his time ripping around on mini bikes and quads. Now, he’s found his passion on a 250 and trains regularly at Wadge’s compound in Warren.
Wadge, who was on hand in Grunthal, praised his student.
“Austen works really hard,” Wadge said. “I’ve been working with him for a long time. He was one of the first guys that came to me. He rides a ton, he thinks super hard about what I tell him, he’s a very good listener, and he’ll just try anything because he wants to be good. I feel like I can help him get to where he wants to be. Austen’s been super impressive and I think he’s going to have a really good season next year.”
Wadge also offered encouragement for another Interlake rider he has been mentoring — St. Clements’ Roger Kolisnyk.
Kolisnyk, 14, is still carving out his reputation but is making rapid progress. After years on a mountain bike, he tried motocross last summer, entering two MBMX events. This year, he returned with a fuller schedule and focused on corner speed and technique under Wadge’s guidance.
The training paid off. Kolisnyk earned five top-five class finishes across the 250cc Beginner and Open Beginner divisions. At Grunthal, he wrapped up the season with fifth-place class finishes in both, ending ninth overall in each.
His results were all the more impressive given the way he achieved them.
“I kind of got lucky with a few of my starts. On one of my starts I fell over, and then I picked it back up and passed 19 people in the race,” Kolisnyk said. “That was good to finish in ninth in one moto. In a different race, I had another bad start, and then I passed 26 people total during the race, so that was crazy, finished fourth.”
Kolisnyk will move up to the Junior divisions in 2026.
“Roger’s been coming to me for a pretty long time now, and I’ve literally got to see him progress so much, and it’s been super cool,” Wadge said. “He loves it, he’s good at taking what I tell him and putting it on the track, and he’s a great listener and learner. It shows in his results that he’s come such a long way, and I’m super proud of him.”
As for Wadge, this summer marked a transition. After pulling out of the 2025 Triple Crown Series due to injury setbacks, he focused almost entirely on coaching. The new chapter has seen him pass on his expertise to more than 40 riders, ranging in age from five to 50.
