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By Ray Hamill — When Tallan Smith returns to Redwood Elementary later this month, his what did you do for your summer vacation story is going to steal the show.

The eight-year-old Smith, who will be in the third grade, enjoyed a summer he won’t easily forget after qualifying for the Amateur National Motocross Championships in Tennessee recently and exceeding his own expectations there.

And that makes the young multi-sport standout this week’s Humboldt Sports Athlete of the Week.

Despite his young age, Smith has been making some noise in the sport of motocross since he first began competing at the age of four.

This was the third straight year he qualified for the prestigious national event and the third straight year he placed in the top 10 in his division, the Micro 378.

But this summer he enjoyed his best showing yet, placing fifth, one spot better than last year.

“To be in the top five was just amazing. He was pretty stoked,” his father Tristan Smith said. “He exceeded his goal. Last year he was sixth and this year he was fifth.”

The young Smith has a busy schedule when it comes to sports.

He also plays basketball and baseball and this fall will play youth football for the first time.

And he appears to be relishing his time playing all of them, although one stands out as his favorite.

“He loves baseball and basketball, but I think football is his next favorite,” Tristan said. “But if you give him a choice to (compete in) one, it would be motocross.”

His parents insist they don’t force him to compete in any of those sports and that it’s his choice.

“It’s just something he wants to do,” his father added. “He plays all of those other sports and competes in motocross and he’s going to school. And having all of that and still competing at the national level is huge.”

Indeed, it appears as if the young Smith could have a big future in motocross.

He’s also had to overcome some challenges other young riders don’t face on the path to success.

Like having to travel more than two hours for the nearest track and out of state for most major competitions.

“It was something he had a passion for from the moment he got on (a bike).” Tristan Smith said. “And it’s hard on the North Coast. There’s not a lot of motocross here. A lot of it is back East, so it’s hard to get practice in.”

Tallan also trains with the Get Right training facility in Crescent City, where he works on physical fitness, footwork and speed, and that’s something that his father believes has helped him succeed.

“He spends his days there after school,” Tristan said. “He’s self-motivated. And I think that keeps him really strong on the bike.”

Next up, Tallan will travel to Oklahoma in October for his next big motocross event and next year he will move up from the 50cc bikes to the 65cc bikes.