Jackson McPherson – Podium Finish at the 2025 QLD DH State Championships

What a weekend for Jackson McPherson at the 2025 AusCycling MTB Downhill State Championships – QLD, held 8–9 November at Mt Joyce Mountain Bike Park (Beaudesert–Wyaralong, QLD). AusCycling+2EntryBoss+2

The result: Jackson rode to a strong 3rd-place finish in the U19 Downhill category with a time of 2:21.000. He recorded a seeding time of 2:37.000 (6th seed). The podium was incredibly tight — only 0.594 seconds separated Jackson from 1st place.

Conditions & track: Overnight and early-morning rain gave the track “perfect hero dirt” — a grippy, slightly softened surface that made for fast descents. Jackson said the most challenging part was the main chute: he had a big crash in practice on Day 1 and found that high-speed section particularly tricky on race day.

What stood out:

• Bouncing back from a crash in practice and still hitting the podium is a big statement.

• The split between Jackson and first was less than six-tenths of a second — showing how competitive the field was.

• The seeding time (2:37) to race time (2:21) shows a 16-second improvement — clear evidence of Jackson stepping it up under pressure.

• The conditions — rain overnight and morning, softened dirt — elevated the track’s challenge and reward.

What’s next: With this podium under his belt, Jackson has proven he’s ready for more. Expect him to build on this momentum into the rest of the downhill season, push for more nationals appearances, and further refine his lines through tricky sections like that main chute at Mt Joyce. The program at Mackay Cycles and his sponsorship with Scott are backing him for big things ahead.

Huge congratulations to Jackson from all of us — and thanks to the trail crew, event organisers (AusCycling, Kooralbyn Valley MTB Club & Outlook Riders Alliance) and the Mt Joyce venue for hosting an epic state championships.