Rising national star Jonty Murdoch, of host club West Bundaberg, was again a shining light of the 2022 Nordic Sport Little Athletics Queensland Central Regional Championships, achieving three major Regional Championships Best Performance (RCBP) results in his four victories at the titles.
The throwing sensation tuned it on in the Boys Under-15 Discus Throw with a mighty 53.52m, surpassing Sam Smith’s previous best of 49.73m set in 2011, Javelin Throw with an equally impressive 53.08m, 5.08m further than club-mate Hendre Kirchner’s previous record set four years ago, and Shot Put with 15.90, extending Anthony Clark’s 2016 mark by 1.15m.
He was also successful in the Long Jump with a leap of 5.51m.
Hundreds of excited young athletes from also the Bundaberg, Isis and District, Burrum and District, Gayndah, Gladstone, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, and Monto Centres also battled it out in the total of 324 events over a bumper two-day program.
West Bundaberg produced 37 other winners and many more place-getters, with six of their team achieving the distinction of notching five titles each, Rhys Garland (Boys U17 100m Dash, 200m Dash, 400m Run, Long Jump, Triple Jump), Braith Hart (Boys U7 70m Dash, 100m Dash, 200m Dash, Long Jump, Discus Throw), Aylah Wallace (Girls U14 100m Dash, 200m Dash, 400m Run, 80m Hurdles, Long Jump), Alexis Davis (Girls U10 70m Dash, 100m Dash, 200m Dash, 400m Run, 800m Run), Maryella Skoric (Girls U10 1100m Race Walk; Multi-class 8-9 years 100m Dash, Long Jump, Shot Put, Discus Throw), and Hallee McCoombes (Multi-Class Girls 10-11 400m Run, Long Jump, Shot Put, Discus Throw, Javelin Throw).
A further six racked up four gold medals each, Lachlan Rae (Boys U12 100m Dash, 200m Dash, 400m Run, Long Jump), Bridget McEwan (Girls U15 100m Dash, 90m Hurdles, Long Jump, Triple Jump), Libby Venner (Multi-Class Girls 12-13 100m Dash, 200m Dash, 400m Run, Shot Put), Jada McCoombes (Girls U11 400m Run, 800m Run, 1500m Run, 1100m Race Walk), Avena Baker Girls (U9 70m Dash, 100m Dash, 60m Hurdle, Long Jump), and Matilda Kemps Girls (U9 200m Dash, 400m Run, 800m Run, High Jump).
A half-dozen more notched a hat-trick of titles, Lachlan’s brother Christian Rae (Boys U10 70m Dash, 100m Dash, Long Jump), Matilda’s sister Immogen Kemps (Girls U7 70m Dash, 100m Dash, 200m Dash), Boys Club Captain Kaine Gould (Boys U17 800m Run, 1500m Run, 110m Hurdles), Joshua Bulbert (Boys U16 100m Dash, 200m Dash, 400m Run), Lily Jayne Prada-Tiger (Girls U13 High Jump, Discus Throw, Javelin Throw), and Lola James (Girls U8 70m Dash, 60m Hurdles, Long Jump).
In addition, eight club-mates snared a pair of gongs, Cooper De Silva (Boys U15 High Jump, Triple Jump), Koda Lawley (Boys U14 200m Hurdles, High Jump), Riley Collin (Boys U14 Long Jump, Triple Jump), Jacob Last (Multi-Class Boys 12-13 400m Run, Shot Put), Koby Irvine (Boys U12 1500m Run, 1500m Race Walk), Kallam Wynn (Boys U11 100m Dash, Discus Throw), Aaliyah Skoric (Multi-Class Girls 12-13 Long Jump, Javelin Throw), and Mia Last (Girls U8 Shot Put, Discus Throw).
West Bundaberg’s other victors included Mark Rowbottom (Boys U12 80m Hurdles), Austin Wynn (Boys U11 80m Hurdles), Charlie Senescall (Boys U11 Long Jump), Fraser Wegner (Boys U10 High Jump), Braxton Blackley (Boys U9 Shot Put), Jett Irvine (Boys U8 Discus Throw), Hurrikane Pertzel (Boys U7 Shot Put), Jonty’s sister and Girls Club Captain Jett Murdoch (Girls U17 Long Jump), Helaina LIsciotto (Girls U15 Shot Put), Mackenzie Williams (Girls U12 200m Dash), and Chelsea Loudon (Girls U11 Triple Jump).
Two Bundaberg Little Athletics Centre members also posted five victories each, Xavier Blair (Boys U13 80m Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, Javelin Throw, 1500m Race Walk), and Jake Garland (Boys U10 200m Dash, 400m Run, 800m Run, 60m Hurdles, Discus Throw).
Club-mate Rocco Marcon also flexed his muscle, grabbing four titles, in the Boys U8 70m Dash, 100m Dash, 200m Dash, and Long Jump.
The Law sisters were also in the thick of things, with Naidean notching the Girls U13 Long Jump-Shot Put double, Maddison beating all comers in the Girls U17 Triple Jump, and Lilee outleaping her rivals in the Girls U14 High Jump.
Elliot Lihs also prevailed for the Bundaberg Centre in the Boys U9 Discus Throw.
Joel Felgate led from the front for Isis and District with wins in the Boys U17 Shot Put and Javelin Throw, while two others also tasted dual success for the Childers based Centre, Keira Cook in the Girls U13 400m Run and 800m Run, and Alicia Ebert Girls in the U12 400m Run and 1500m Run.
Isis and District’s other champions included Sarah Onoprienko (Girls U17 1500m Run), James Duguid (Boys U16 800m Run), Michael Ebert (Boys U14 Javelin Throw), Charli Murton (Girls U13 100m Dash), Jesse Holton (Boys U12 High Jump), and Tanika Rappard (Girls U11 Long Jump).
CRICKET
Waves must beat wooden spooners Brothers in a last-round day-nighter at Salter Oval tomorrow, starting at 2.30pm, to be assured of a hat-trick of Bundaberg Rum City Foods Division 1 Minor Premierships.
Brothers have not beaten Waves all season, and Waves will be desperate to return to top form after losing two of their past three matches, their only win in that sequence being against Brothers two games back when captain and spinner Chris Duff was a match winner with an amazing 7-7 after their arch-rivals had been in the box seat.
Waves are currently on 84.85 points, with second placed East Bundy Magpies, who are on 76.33, the only team mathematically able to catch them, but they would need Waves to lose plus chalk up a significant 2.54 more incentive points than them, accumulated at a rate of .01 per run and .25 per wicket.
The Magpies will take on Norths (69.72) at 11am in a probable dress rehearsal for a semi-final rematch next Saturday, with Norths also hungry for a win which could lift them into the vital second place, which would mean that they would progress to the decider if the semi is washed out.
Depending on the state of the pitches, which have been inundated by rain again in the last few days, the Junior 1v4 and 2v3 semi-finals will be decided at Kendall’s Flat tomorrow morning.
In Junior Cricket 3 Under-16, minor premiers Waves take on Maryborough, with second placed Brothers Pumas up against YMCA/Norths Marauders.
Waves were also No. 1 in U14, and they will also meet Maryborough, while second seeds North Bundy Power will do battle with Hervey Bay Colts.
Junior Cricket 2 table toppers Norths SEI Strikers will pad up against YMCA, with No. 2’s Brothers pitted against Norths Avengers.
Bundaberg will also host the Wide Bay Junior Championships finals at Salter Oval on Sunday, clashing with South Burnett/Gympie in Under-16, South Burnett I U14, and Fraser Coast in U12.
SOFTBALL
Brothers United Firesticks’ quest for a hat-trick of Coral Coast/Hervey Bay Softball A Grade Ladies titles will go on the line when they slug it out with Bargara Bullets in the Preliminary Finals in Hervey Bay tomorrow.
After the major and minor semi-finals were washed out last Saturday and the higher placed teams progressed in all divisions, United will be favoured but they will need to be on their games after suffering a costly 10-8 loss to the Bullets three weeks ago after having beaten them 13-5 a day earlier.
First season composite team Maryborough/West, who finished second on the A Grade Men’s ladder, will take on reigning champions Terrors in their qualifier.
There are nine matches all-up, starting at 8.30am, with the last two games set down for 4.10pm.
AFL
Across The Waves Eagles and Brothers Bulldogs have called on the people of Bundaberg to come and watch their AFL Wide Bay Takalvans Senior Women’s Premiership Round 3 clash at Frank Coulthard Oval at 6pm tomorrow and also help raise funds for the Gympie Cats’ club whose clubhouse has been devastated by this week’s floods.
The Eagles, who swept all before them last season until being ambushed by Hervey Bay Bombers in the grand final, made a huge statement in the first round, defeating the Bombers by 19 points, while the Dogs, who have not won a game in the past two seasons, were competitive in a 29-point defeat of the Cats, but Waves at home are a tougher assignment.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Eagles’ men will play Gladstone Suns in a practice match at 3pm.
Gympie Cats’ women will be playing the Bears in Maryborough after having their game relocated to the Heritage City, while there will also be a Hervey Bay Local Derby between the Bombers and Power.
GOLF
Bundaberg Golf Club is hoping that the rain stays away at that the Grand Finals of their Burnett Cup, Ladies Burnett Cup and consolation Plates can be played tomorrow after they were postponed from last Saturday due to the extremely wet greens.
The Burnett Cup is Wide Bay Golf’s Men’s Premier Event and is now in its 52nd year with a Player Prize Pool of $7,200, with John Muller and Wayne Scott to play Shaun McMahon and Brendan Stevens in the decider at 12.06pm.
Tim and Wayne Olsen will meet Graham Tesch and Mark Pearen in Peter Hitchcock Memorial Plate, which was contested by the Burnett Cup first-round losers, in that grand final with an 11.59am tee-off.
Sally Hancock and Sandra Dawson will battle it out with Deon Fleming and Averil Chalmers in the Ladies Burnett Cup decider at 11.52am.
The Penny Teiniker Memorial Plate will also be up for grabs at 11.45am between Leesa Ison and Leslie Irvine, and Linda Phillips and Kaye Rosengreen.
GREYHOUNDS
This week’s Bundaberg meeting was decimated by floodwaters throughout South Queensland, with 35 scratchings, mostly because of trainers being unable to travel with roads cut off, and only 43 dogs lined up across the 10 races.
The rich Young Guns Final was unfortunately reduced to a field of three and Pacific Haven trainer Greg Kennedy profited, picking up the $4225 winner’s cheque with none of the heat winners taking their places, and his Question Asked defeating litter sisters Slick Velvet and Not Allowed.
Question Asked completed a double for Greg, who earlier got the money with Fluro Girl in the Mixed 4th/5th Grade.
Two trainers notched trebles, with Takura maestro David Plummer continuing his winning spree with litter siblings Garfunkel (Novice-Non Penalty) and Kotiro Koura (Mixed 3rd/4th Grade), and Little Ripper in the two-dog Mixed 4th/5th Grade, and Bundaberg’s Lindsay McCarthy triumphing with I’m Too Short (Ace Fabrications Maiden), Signify (TAB 5th Grade), and Satirical (Masters 5th Grade).
Redridge owner/trainer Narelle Mulcahy also picked up a double with Chase Me Candy (TAB Maiden) and outsider Beers With Geoff (Bargara Bakery 5th Grade).
HORSE RACING
A lot of Horse racing has also been cancelled over the past week due to the heavy rain, but a meeting was held at Thangool on Monday with trainers Darryl Gardiner, James Wanless and Mary Hassam flying the Bundaberg flag on the afternoon.
Mary was also among the winners with three-year-old Kilkenny Dazzler, which had beaten just two of his 33 rivals home across his first three starts, had been listed as the sixth emergency in the Maiden Plate and only gained a start with seven late scratchings, saluting the judge as a $26 rank outsider.
Darryl had to settle for third placings with favourite Homecall in the Benchmark 55 Handicap, and superbly bred former New South Wales mare Shootforthestar at her first outing for him in the Benchmark 50 Handicap.
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