<p>Kaden Springfield, 5, of Umatilla, stands with his trophies, bike and other prizes days after taking the BMX State Championship.</p>

Six months ago, 5-year-old Kaden Stringfield thought bikes were just for fun.

Over the past half year, however, the kindergartener from Rocky Heights Elementary has earned 31 different trophies and the best title of all: state champion.

Standing in the living room of his Umatilla home, Kaden proudly showed off his racing bike. He held up the No. 1 state champion plate for his bike and, best of all, the neon orange 2012 State Champion backpack, the trophy he earned in the Oregon State BMX Championship on Saturday in Salem.

From regular kid to race champion, the journey began with a simple radio ad for a free race at a track just over the Washington border. Hes 5 years old, so we werent too serious, his dad, Jayson Tracy, said Monday. We asked if he wanted to try racing, and he did.

Kaden, then 4, and his parents made the trip. When Kaden did well and enjoyed the activity, they went to another, then another, then another.

He started winning a lot of races, Tracy said. In the novice class, he won eight races right away, and after the eighth race, he was moved to intermediate class. Hes progressed very quickly.

They found a sponsor Scotts Cycle and Sports and bought Kaden a race bike. Kaden continued to do well, even though he competed against 6- or 7-year-olds because few 5-year-olds had claimed intermediate status. With a number of first-, second- and third-place finishes under his tiny belt, Kaden and his parents thought he would easily qualify for the state competition, but then the first bit of bad news: Kaden didnt qualify, because he lived in Oregon.

The only local tracks are in Washington, Kristina Stringfield, Kadens mom, explained. He had to qualify for the Oregon state championships, so to make state we had to drive to Bend, Redmond, Eugene, St. Helens. It was a lot of traveling.

For the state championship, officials use the best three scores from qualifying races as well as the final in Salem. For first-place, racers receive 19 points. For second-place, they receive 18 points; for third, 17, and so on. Kaden won two of his qualifiers and came in second in the third. Going into the Saturday final, Kaden was sitting at 56 points out of a possible 57, a score that put him in a 14 point lead going into the championship.

It seemed Kaden had the race in the bag, but challenges were just around the corner.

Friday, the family traveled to Salem for the competition. They gathered Kadens bike, his gear, his uniform. checked into a hotel. The next morning, the car was gone.

We got up the next morning and our car was stolen, Kristina Stringfield said. We had to buy new gear Saturday morning because it was all in the car. We had to buy new shoes, a helmet, everything.

Other BMX parents helped the Stringfields gather materials so Kaden could compete in his first championship.

Fifteen 5-year-olds from all race classes took the track in the final, and Kaden beat them all, despite his last-minute gear and a developing cold.

Its unbelievable, Tracy said. Out of all the little kids in the state of Oregon, he managed to come out on top, with so little race experience.

But his parents say Kaden has always been a natural with two wheels; he was off training wheels by age 3 and collects a number of miniature dirt bikes that he jumps in mock races, takes apart and puts back together.

I like to take them apart because I want to make them look cool, he said, pointed out the red, blue and green pieces on a favorite. I have a lot of them. I like to play with my bikes, and monster trucks.

But why does Kaden race?

Its fun, and I like winning, the kindergartener says with a child-like excitement. The hardest part is trying my hardest.

Kaden said he plans on continuing to race and would like to win more championships and learn how to jump really high, like the big kids.

In Tri-Cities, the BMX season goes until Dec. 15. Kaden and his family said they plan to continue putting Kaden on the track for the rest of the year to earn district points to determine Kadens race number for the 2013 season. In 2012, Kaden raced under No. 307; his current scores put him somewhere in the 70s for next season.

The family said next year Kaden will compete in races to qualify for the national championships.

As long as he wants to race, he can, Stringfield said. Were really proud of him.