With a small team of only 14, Elliott Heads were never a chance of repeating their clean sweep of trophies from last year’s Surf Life Saving Queensland Wide Bay Capricorn Senior and Masters Championships.
Host club Emu Park had around 60 competitors who took out the 2022 titles on the weekend.
The Elliott Heads representatives again produced many outstanding individual and team performances to place second in the Warren Massey Senior Championships Shield with 326, behind Emu Park (759), but well clear of Yeppoon 142, Bundaberg 122, Hervey Bay 110, Tannum Sands 50, and Agnes Water 32.
They also ranked fifth in the Alan Nixon Handicap Senior Shield on 326, behind Emu Park 917.5, Hervey Bay 570.93, Agnes 506.16, Tannum 378.54, but ahead of Bundaberg 246.25, and Yeppoon 142.
Elliott Heads also took third in the Ron Harding Master Championships Shield with 176, behind Emu Park 552 and Hervey Bay 264, but in advance of Yeppoon 86 and Bundaberg 27.
They also ran fifth in the John Faircloth Master Handicap Shield with 176, with Emu Park again a big winner on 807.5, followed by Hervey Bay 564, Yeppoon 421, and Bundaberg 313.5.
As always, life-time club champions Craig and Kristine Holden and their children Kobi and Baylee were in the thick of things throughout the program, but all of their team contributed to a magnificent performance.
Individually, Craig won the 45-49yrs Male Board Race, Single Ski and Ironperson, while Kristine claimed gold in the 45-49yrs Female Beach Sprint, and the 30-39yrs Female Board Rescue with Katie Stephenson, silver in the Surf and Board Races, and Bronze in the Beach Flags, and together the ultra-popular couple also savoured silver in the Open Mixed Double Ski.
The club really flexed their muscle in the U15 and U17 Male divisions, with, in the former, Kobi winning the Board Race and Ironperson, the Board Rescue together with Kai Devine, the Surf Teams and Board Relay in tandem with Kai and Isaac Barrett, and Cameron Relay with Isaac, and the dynamic duo were third with Isaac in the Beach Relay.
Kobi was also runner-up to Kai in the Surf Race, while Kai was second to him in the Board Race and Ironperson, and Isaac grabbed third in the Board Rescue, Beach Flags, and Beach Sprint.
In U17 Male, Caiden Everingham and Rohan McDonald were their stand-outs, with the former clinching the 2km Beach Run-Ironperson double, the latter reigning supreme in the Surf and Board Races, the pair together triumphing in the Board Rescue, and also adding the Male Surf Teams with Olivia Warmington and Kobi, the U17 Male Beach Relay with Olivia, the Male Taplin with Kai, and the Board Relay with Kobi.
Caiden also snared second in the Surf Race, Board Race and Single Ski, with Rohan third in the Beach Flags and Sprint, Single Ski and Ironperson, and the pair also stepping to the Open Male Board Race, with Rohan powering to a famous victory and Caiden winding up third in that event.
Rohan and Caiden also joined forces with Craig to beat all comers in the Open Male Board Relay, while Rohan and Craig added the Open Male Taplin crown, and Caiden teamed with Masters club-mates, Katie’s wife Laurie Stephenson and Stuart Hogben and
Bundaberg club young gun Kye Woods for third in that event, and Craig, Rohan, and Stuart for second in the Open Male Surf Teams.
Rohan also formed a winning combination with Laurie, Lachlan Barrett, and Nathan Moore in the Open Male Beach Relay.
Caiden added two more titles, with Baylee in the U19 Mixed Double Ski, and Craig and Stuart in the Open Male Single Ski Relay.
Craig completed his gold rush in partnership with Stuart in the Open Male and 45-49yrs Double Skis, and 45-49yrs Male Board Rescue; Stuart and Laurie in the 130ys min Male Board Relay; Laurie, Nathan, and Stuart in the 170yrs+ Male Beach Relay; and
Laurie and Nathan in the 110yrs+ Male Taplin.
Further silver came Craig, Stuart, and Laurie’s way in the 130yrs min Male Surf Teams.
Mother and daughter Kristine and Baylee combined with Laurie and Lachlan to blitz the field in the Open Mixed Beach Relay, and Kristine, Katie, and Kathryn McKenzie (Bundaberg) secured the 110yrs min Female Surf Teams, and Kristine and Kathryn and another Bundaberg rising star Jasmyn Theuerkauf were second best in the Open Female Board Relay.
Baylee and Lachlan also upstaged their rivals in the U19 Beach Relay, and formed a composite team with Emu Park which made their way to the top of the dais in the U19 Mixed Beach Relay, while Baylee and Olivia also grabbed third in the U19 Female Board Rescue, and Lachlan racked up silver in the U19 Male Beach Sprint.
On her own, Olivia shone across the program in U17 female, with a glistening gold in the Beach Sprint, silver in the 2km Beach Run, Surf Race, Beach Flags, and Ironwoman, and bronze in the Board Race.
Age was no barrier as Stuart surged to Open Male Single Ski success, while in Masters individual events, he wound up second in the 45-49yrs Male Board Race, Single Ski and Ironperson, and third in the Surf Race, and Beach Flags, and second in the 110rs min Male Board Relay with Laurie and Nathan, and third in the Open Male Board Relay with Laurie, who filled the same position with Nathan in the 35-39yrs Male Board Rescue.
Laurie also posted two individual event victories, in the 40-44yrs Male Board Race and Beach Sprint, and a brace of seconds in the Open Male and 40-44 years Beach Flags, while, not to be outdone, Katie overpowered her rivals in the 35-39yrs Female Board Race
Nathan was a real revelation in his first ever surf lifesaving carnival, also stamping his mark in the individual category, racing to first in the 35-39yrs Male Beach Sprint, and second in the 30-39yrs 2km Beach Run, and 35-39yrs Board Race and Beach Flags.
National beach star Ky Woods led the Bundaberg club charge with five solo gold, in the Open Male Beach Flags and Sprint, and U19 Beach Sprint, Single Ski and Ironman, as well as sealing silver in the Open Male Single Ski and Ironperson, and bronze in the U19 Male Surf and Board Races, and bringing home silver with Jake Devine (Tannum) in the U19 Male Board Rescue.
Kathryn McKenzie was a shining light for Bundaberg in the Female section, chalking up a hat-trick of gold in the 30-34yrs Board Race, Single Ski and Ironwoman, dual silver in the Open Single Ski and 30-34yrs Surf Race, and a bronze in the Open Board Race, in addition to being part of composite team with Hervey that stroked to second in the Open Surf Teams race.
Jasmyn Theuerkauf did Bundaberg proud, grabbing gold in the Open and U19 Female Beach Flags, also filling third spot in the U19 Beach Flags and Sprint, and Open Beach Sprint.
Amelia Walsh registered six U15 Female bronze medals for Bundaberg, in the Board Race, and with Elizabeth Pascoe in the Board Rescue, Elizabeth and Harriet Mullins in the Surf Teams, and Beach and Board Relay, and a Hervey Bay teen in the Cameron Relay.
Good luck to all competitors at the Junior Branch Championships at Nielson Park this weekend in age groups from under-8 to under-14.
TOUCH
Action will be fast and furious at the seventh annual Touch Bundaberg Cup at Greg Duncan Fields this weekend, with 52 teams battling it out for a total of $20,000 Prizemoney across nine divisions.
Rockhampton dominated the carnival last year, winning five of the divisions, and they are strongly represented in all categories once again, with Bundaberg’s best chances likely to be QNZLDer in the Open Mixed and two times defending Bundaberg Men’s champions Ankle Bullies in the Social Men.
The first round of matches will get under way at 8am tomorrow, running throughout the day, and resuming on Sunday morning, and concluding with the Open Mixed and Social Mixed grand finals at 1.50pm, and Open and Social Men’s deciders at 2.25pm.
ATHLETICS
The Bundaberg, Isis and District, and West Bundaberg clubs will carry the local hopes when hundreds of young talents from nine Centres contest the Little Athletics Queensland 2022 Nordic Sport Australia Central Coast Regional Championships at
the Bundaberg Athletic Club this weekend.
Competition will get under way at 9.30am tomorrow, running throughout the day until the last round of events at 6pm, interrupted only by the March Past and Opening Ceremony at 12.30pm.
Fast and furious action will resume at 8.15am Sunday, concluding with the last round at 3.30pm.
CRICKET
East Bundy Magpies will welcome back South Queensland Country (SQC) star Arden Lankowski as they attempt to bounce back from last week’s surprise loss to Brothers when they meet the high-flying Waves in the ninth round of the Division 1 Premiership at Salter Oval at 11am tomorrow.
Then in the day/night match starting at 2.30pm, Norths will be hungry to also rebound from a crushing loss to Waves when they suit up against Brothers, and they will be bolstered by their SQC duo Nathan Van Eekeren and Brendan Handley.
Good luck to Wide Bay at the South Queensland Under-18 Don McPherson Shield in Gatton this weekend after it was postponed from December due to heavy rain.
The team is: Nathaniel Bailey, Logan Beutel, Jack Sullivan, Ronan Dempsey, Dylan Heycox ©, Harrison Johnson, Conner Franz, Matthew Parker, Logan Woodward, Matthew Springate/Fletcher Brown, Lewis Williams, Brodie Loveridge.
SOFTBALL
Two-times defending champions Brothers United Firesticks could take a giant step towards another minor premiership when they do battle with arch-rivals Waves Tsunamis to a Coral Coast/Hervey Bay Softball A Grade Ladies top of the table blockbuster at Brothers Sports Club tomorrow at 2.20pm.
Bargara Bullets can also lay claim to third spot with three rounds remaining if they are able to bounce back and account for Terrors in Hervey Bay.
At 4.10pm at Brothers, last placed Brothers United Heat must beat leaders Waves Schooners to keep their semi-final hopes alive, while Terrors will square off against Misfits at the Bay.
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