Big success for small Bay clubs

Two of the smaller clubs tasted big success on the second day of the Ocean Athlete under-14 national surf lifesaving championships in Mount Maunganui today.

Whakatane’s under-11 beach relay team of Tiaan Brownless, Ngahuia Muru, Brady Oxenham and Ngatokorua Eruera won their first gold medal at national level with a thrilling win in their final, heading home Mount Maunganui and Midway.

At the other end of the Bay of Plenty region, Whangamata was also celebrating after their under-13 relay team of Grace Gill, Maddie Kidd, Jack Snodgrass and Taine Sweeney took out their final.

Success was not such a stranger to three members of the team, however, with Gill, Sweeney and Kidd backing up from their under-12 win last year.

It only took minutes for devastation to turn into jubilation for three Midway competitors, meanwhile.

Midway’s under-13 mixed relay team of Georgia Burke, Christy Stuart, Noel Te Rangi and Raipoia Kawhia thought they’d won gold when they cleared out to win their final, only to be disqualified.

But minutes later, Burke, Stuart and Te Rangi lined up with Olivia Scott to claim a win in the under-14 race.

“We were pretty gutted after the other race but we were determined to do things right in the next one,” Burke said.  “Winning the under-14 final helps to make up for it.”

Red Beach dominated the under-12 beach relay with their A team of Lewis Gjaltema, Ella Martin, Sinead Payne and Izaak Scheib heading home Omanu, and their B team of Grayson Barnes, Jacinta Borer, Joshua Smith and Jade Tuilaepa snatching third.

Lyall Bay maintained their lead in the overall standings, however, helped by Karly Maxwell and Gracen Luka’s win in the under-14 girls board rescue.

The Wellington club sit on 16 points, with Mount on 13 and Omanu on 12.

Defending champions Papamoa are on 11 points, after Ben Johnston and Daniel Hart combined to win the under-14 boys board rescue title. Hart knows there are a lot of events to come this weekend to get enough points to retain their title.

“We want to lead from the front and start strong,” Hart said.  “We’re missing some stars from last year but it’s up to the rest of us to step up.”

Australian ironman superstars Shannon Eckstein and Zane Holmes will attend the final two days of the competition this weekend, along with four-time New Zealand ironman champion and former Ocean Athlete competitor Daniel Moodie.

 

Today's results:

 

Board rescue:

Under-14 boys: Papamoa (Ben Johnston, Daniel Hart) 1, Omanu Beach (Ben Cochrane, Perry Farrell) 2, Waikanae (Harry Dods, Patrick Wall) 3.

Under-14 girls: Lyall Bay (Karly Maxwell, Gracen Luka) 1, Orewa (Tori Collett-Johnson, Michayla Johnston) 2, Mt Maunganui (Jessica Miller, Alex Lawrence) 3.

Mixed beach relay:

Under-11: Whakatane (Tiaan Brownless, Ngahuia Muru, Brady Oxenham, Ngatokorua Eruera) 1, Mt Maunganui (Emily Johnston, Matthew Kelliher, Hamish Miller, Hannah Treanor) 2, Midway (Reeftahn Brown-Terekia, Fergus Burke, Devon Egan, Steffi Cameron) 3.

Under-12: Red Beach A (Lewis Gjaltema, Ella Martin, Sinead Payne, Izaak Scheib) 1, Omanu Beach (Jessica Gadsbey, Fergus Kirk, Connor Probert, Petra Ririnui) 2, Red Beach B (Grayson Barnes, Jacinta Borer, Joshua Smith, Jade Tuilaepa) 3.

Under-13: Whangamata (Grace Gill, Maddie Kidd, Jack Snodgrass, Taine Sweeney) 1, Omanu Beach (Liam Hesp, Isabella Kirk, Petra Ririnui, Denton McCarty) 2, Red Beach (Jessica Cornish, Jordan Downey, Jake Hurley, Georgia Cox) 3.

Under-14: Midway (Olivia Scott, Georgia Burke, Christy Stuart, Noel Te Rangi) 1, Fitzroy (Amelia Riddick, James Toss, Maija Mcsweeney-Novak, Scott Murfitt) 2, Omanu Beach (Ben Cochrane, Thomas Probert, Hannah Scown, Jessica Lacy) 3.

 

Points: Lyall Bay 16, Mt Maunganui 13, Omanu 12, Red Beach 11, Papamoa 11, Whakatane 7, Orewa 6, Midway 6, Waikanae 5, Whangamata 5, Piha 3, Fitzroy 3, Otaki 3, Wainui 2, Worser Bay 1, South Brighton 1.