A host of Sunshine Coast athletes warmed up for the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, with impressive displays at the state championships.
With ‘The Aussies’ just three weeks away, more than 1500 athletes from clubs around Queensland converged for a three-day carnival at Tugun.
Among the top performers were Emma Woods, Taylah Halliday, Adam Palmer, Jacob Dickey and Sunshine Coast Taplin relay teams.
Alexandra Headland duo Halliday and Woods claimed a haul of medals.
They confirmed their status as rising stars in the the sport by finishing first and second in the U19 Ironwoman, with Halliday finishing in front of her club-mate.
The pair, who impressed during the summer’s Ironwoman Series, also combined to win the U19 double ski and U19 board rescue.
They also joined Lucinda Kelly to win the coveted open Taplin relay and they linked with Summer Rolston to win the U19 ski relay.
Woods also won the U19 surf (swim) race.
Alexandra Headland coach Jack Hansen said they were gearing up for the Australian championships.
“It’s all about preparation into The Aussies and trying to do as many races as we can, to practise what’s to come,” he said.
Their club-mate Dickey emerged as one to watch, winning the U17 Ironman state title.
“He’s a hard-working individual who has most certainly grown in the last few years and developed into a really good young athlete,” Hansen said.
“Three weeks out from national titles and he’s hitting his straps.”
Dickey said he was “stoked” with his state championships campaign.
“It was really good. I was pretty surprised to win the iron.”
His swim leg proved the difference, after exiting the board leg in about eighth place.
He ultimately beat Maroochydore’s Joel Piper to the line.
Maroochydore finished second on the overall club points score, behind Northcliffe, and they enjoyed their “best state titles in about 20 years” according to coach Nathan Greig.
They won one of the carnival’s major races, the open male Taplin relay, due to the efforts of Hayden Cotter, Peter Elford, Oliver Monaghan, Adam Palmer, Matthew Palmer and Daniel Peacock.
Adam Palmer also triumphed in the open board final.
On the fringes of the elite ranks, he’s expected to be a genuine threat for Australian titles at his own break in April.
He teamed up with Hayden Cotter to win the board rescue.
Cotter was heavily involved in the meet, with a fifth placing in the ironman final and victories in the open surf belt and the team rescue tube rescue, to go with his board rescue win with Palmer.
Club-mate Tiarnee Massie, who was strong in the Ironwoman Series during summer, snared fourth place in the Ironwoman to suggest she will be right in the mix for the main event at the Australian championships.
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Sunshine Beach’s Sam O’Connor displayed his potential on the board, winning the state U19 title while Mooloolaba’s Lily Turton won the U19 surf ski crown.
Noosa Heads’ renowned open water swimmer Sloman claimed victory in the open surf (swim) race.
He’s vying for a berth at the Tokyo Olympics after recently snaring second place at the national open water swimming championships.
In the feature races, Burleigh Heads’ Ky Kinsela won the open ironman final, ahead of Surfers Paradise’s Ali Day and Northcliffe’s Matt Bevilacqua.
Northcliffe’s Georgia Miller won the open ironwoman state title, ahead of Brielle Cooper and Danielle McKenzie.
Sunshine Coasters had success in the masters’ state championships on Friday.
Among the iron winners were Alexandra Headland’s Blair Day (30-34 male) and Marilyn Clarence (65-69 female, Mooloolaba’s Rod Taylor (65-69 male) and Noosa duo Julie Fidler (60-54 female) and Alison Pegg (55-59 female).
Sunshine Coast surfboat crews also enjoyed a successful weekend at the State titles.
The women led the way with the Mooloolaba Mavericks winning the open female final and Dicky Beach Tooshies taking out the U21 title from the Noosa Heads Scrub Turkeys and Noosa Spangled Drongos.
Maroochydore Force powered to victory in the U19 men’s final and also claimed a bronze in the open men’s division.
Noosa Kookaburras grabbed gold in the U19 women’s final from the Dicky Beach Dandelions and Maroochydore, while Alexandra Headland and Maroochydore had to be content with silver and bronze behind the Northcliffe in the U23 men.
The Coast showed its depth of talent in the surfboat relay, in which each club must field an U19, open women’s and open men’s crew. Maroochydore grabbed the gold medal in a thrilling final from Gold Coast rivals Currumbin, with Dicky Beach taking the bronze. Mooloolaba, Alexandra Headland and Noosa were all in the final.
Mooloolaba won the open women’s surf boats race. Picture: SLSQ
The Australian championships will be held at Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland and Mooloolaba from April 16-24. It’s expected to attract about 6000 athletes from about 300 clubs.
Selection of Sunshine Coast wins from the state championships
Alexandra Headland
Tayla Halliday – U19 Ironwoman
Tayla Halliday, Lucinda Kelly and Emma Woods – open female Taplin
Jett Kenny and James Porter – open male double ski
Jacqueline Eaton-Sinclair, Fiona Gallina, Graeme McIntyre, Mark Thornton, Linda Till, David Townson – open march past
Mia McWilliam – U19 female beach flags
Tayla Halliday and Emma Woods – U19 female double ski
Tayla Halliday and Emma Woods – U19 female surf board rescue
Tayla Halliday and Emma Woods and Summer Rolston – U19 female surf ski relay
Emma Woods – U19 female surf race
Mia McWilliam – U19 female beach flags
Jacob Dickey – U17 male ironman
Alexander Innes – U17 male beach sprint
Maroochydore
Hayden Cotter, Peter Elford, Oliver Monaghan, Adam Palmer, Matthew Palmer, Daniel Peacock – open male Taplin relay
Adam Palmer – open male board
Hayden Cotter, Sam Harris, Matthew Palmer and Mitchell Stitt – open male rescue tube rescue
Hayden Cotter – open male surf belt
Hayden Cotter and Adam Palmer – open male surf board rescue
John Baxter, Steven Coombes, Kurt Lorme, Jae Marr, Daniel Short – open male 5 person R&R
Matilda Jarrott, Jazmin-lea Rice, Kiara Rychvalsky, Bayley Wilmot – U17 female beach relay
Yve Warren – U17 female surf belt
Jake O’Hara – U17 male beach flags
Names not available – U17 male beach relay
Sam Harris, Kaimana Kimmins, Joel Piper, Mitchell Stitt – U17 male surf team
Kaimana Kimmins, Joel Piper, Mitchell Stitt – U17 male Taplin relay
Maroochydore Force – U19 surfboat
Maroochydore – surfboat relay
Mooloolaba
Mavericks – open female surf boat
Lily Turton – U19 female surf ski
Kiera Bascombe – U17 female beach flags
Dicky Beach
Tooshies – u23 women’s surfboat
Noosa Heads
Nicholas Sloman – open male surf
Sunshine Beach
Sam O’Connor – the U19 male board
