Aussies 2024: Sunshine Coast talents to watch at Australian surf life saving titles
They are the top locals ready to throw their best foot forward against the nations top surf life savers. So who are our local heroes and ones to watch at Aussies 2024? Check out our list.
Sunshine Coast
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The Sunshine Coast will welcome more than 8000 junior and senior competitions in the comings days for one of the largest annual sporting events of the calendar year.
The Aussies run from April 13–21 and will be raced from the Alexandra Headland SLSC, Maroochydore SLSC, Mooloolaba SLSC and Coolum SLSC.
Ahead of the action we caught up with club presidents, coaches and key personalities to find out which local talents you should be barracking for across the nine days of action.
There is always a big advantage being at home at any sporting event and our locals will be keen to take advantage.
Check out our Sunny Coast guns to watch below.
UNDER-15s
Nicholas Carter - Alexandra Headland - U15 Male
Selected as a representative on the 2024 Queensland Cyclones ocean/beach interstate team. Nicholas was part of the bronze medal team in the U15 surf team at last year’s Aussies along with teammates Byron Oliphant, Archie Mayfield and Jack Whitfort.
Stanley Jarrott - Maroochydore - U15 Male
Arguably the No.1 under 15s competitor in the country after a stellar season in Queensland.
He won the Matthew Barclay U15 Ironman Memorial Trophy at this year’s Queensland titles and gold in the surf race to go along with this important trophy.
Earlier this season he won gold in the U15 Race One Shaw and Partners Summer Of Surf Hayden Kenny Classic Ironman.
Ava O’Connell - Alexandra Headland - U15 Female
Won the sprint at the state championships but an injury prevented her from showing her flags expertise.
Former Australian flags medallist Murdoch Finch coaches O’Connell so look out for her return to beach flags at Aussies.
Niamh Arthur - Sunshine Beach - U15 Female
Is another from the Australian youth side who has been going well and is a real contender across all water formats.
Mary Thompson - Maroochydore - U15 Female
Picked up medals in the swim and ironman last time around and will a great chance again at Aussies as she continues to rise through the ranks.
An exciting local prospect.
Ruby Williams - Maroochydore - U15 Female
Secured the gold medal for board at the Queensland state titles and will be knocking around on finals day this weekend.
Looks another great opportunity for Williams to shine at the top level.
Jy Teixeira - Alexandra Headland - U15 Male
A strong showing at the Queensland state titles will give the young Alexandra Headland athlete confidence going into Aussies in an assortment of events.
UNDER-17s
Dylan Wilson - Sunshine Beach - U17 Male
Rising star Dylan Wilson is one expected to turn plenty of heads .
He was a standout at the state title, winning the iron, belt and surf races in the under 17s.
He was also third on the Summer of Surf point score for u17s and won the last round at the Shannon Eckstein Classic.
Is expected to be strong again in the ironman after his recent performances.
Zoe Woods - Alexandra Headland - U17 Female
Woods is another star on the rise after building good momentum during the summer of surf series.
She was also crowned her club’s most outstanding competitor in 2023.
Britt Ackerly - Maroochydore - U17 Female
Finished on the podium at Aussies last year in the board race and picked up three gold medals at the Queensland Championships last month.
Should be there again come finals time and is a great shot at doing her home crowd proud.
Darcy Lewis - Sunshine Beach - U17 Male
Lewis is a first year U17 competitor who finished third at states behind his club mate and is also coached by former Ironman star Wes Berg.
Lewis also finished third in the swim and according to Berg “has a really big heart”.
Milly Peterson - Alexandra Headland - U17 Female
By reports Peterson didn’t finish outside of the top five in board and ironwomen events during the summer of surf series.
She is a rising star that demands plenty of attention from her rivals.
Tom Johnston - Maroochydore - U17 Male
Johnston has continued to climb through the junior ranks and is another key Maroochydore beach prospect.
Johnston was selected and named co-captain of the Australian Youth Team last year and also received the Sunshine Coast Branch Youth Athlete of the Year award.
Alec Stewart - Alexandra Headland - U17 Male
Has been a key competitor in board and ski events in recent years as he continues to make his mark in the sport.
Stewart won a series of medal at the state championships last month which included two bronze medals (ski and taplin relays), a silver medal (swim team) and two golds (board relay and ski event).
Joey Short - Maroochydore - U17 Male
Joey, the younger brother of Australian swimmer Sam Short, has been in solid form the past few months.
Short was a standout performer at the Australian Age swimming championships on the Gold Coast last month and would be hoping his skills translate to the surf in the coming days.
Byron Dieckmann - Maroochydore - U17 Male
Dieckmann finished third in the U17 ski race during the final Summer Of Surf Series last month and won silver at the Summer of Surf Shannon Eckstein Classic in 2022.
He’s been swimming very well as of late and would be hoping to push for a finals spot here..
Josie Holmes - Maroochydore -U17 Female
Is a certain key chance who is a part of Todd McSwan’s Maroochydore beach stars stable and will have increased confidence competing at home.
Holmes took home gold earlier this year in the U17 beach sprint at the Manly Summer Of Surf Series.
UNDER-19s
Henry Simpson - Alexandra Headland - U19 Male
Is a bottom age athlete but has been racing extremely well for the past few years and just continues to rise.
Simpson was in the Australian Youth Squad in 2023, competing in the next gen series and took home Alexandra Headland’s most outstanding competition for the under-17s last year.
Is one to keep an eye on this carnival and should be even harder to beat in years to come.
Mia Cook - Alexandra Headland - U19 Female
Cook is a rising star who relocated from Warrnambool and hasn’t looked back since joining Alexandra Headland.
She is a bottom age athlete but finished second during the next gen series and will only continue to get better with more racing experience.
Sam Harris - Maroochydore - U19 Male
Is a strong, powerful athlete that comes in as the defending belt race champion.
Is always a constant threat in the water and is expected to flourish on his home beach.
Zoe Longhurst - Maroochydore - U19 Female
Has won a few board race events in the open girls at the summer of surf and will no doubt be a decent chance in her age group.
The former Noosa star comes in with plenty of confidence and support.
Paul Boland - Mooloolaba - U19 Male
Will be one to watch on the sand after recently winning the Open Men’s Kilcoy Gift over 120m.
Boland also comes in with a track and field background, spearheading the University Of The Sunshine Coast Athletics Club.
OPENS
Jordan Mercer - Noosa Heads - Open Female
Mercer is expected to act as a spearhead for the famous Noosa club who are expected to perform well in team events in the coming days.
Mercer, a former professional athlete and now happy mother, is returning to top level competition at pace.
Cooper Williams - Alexandra Headland - Open Male
Better known as ‘Chicken’, Williams has been a top contender for a while now after snagging silver in the ironman last year and winning the Summer of Surf Series Manly leg.
Electra Outram - Sunshine Beach - Open Female
Well known ironwoman Electra Outram has been a star this summer and is always one to watch.
She finished fourth in the Nutri-Grain series and was highly placed in the Summer Of Surf series.
She missed states as was unwell with her main events at Aussies the board and iron races.
Chris Kither - Noosa Heads - Open Male
Kither may only be new to the club but he will be chasing victory in the mixed boards after winning the event at states.
He will also be in other teams, including the double ski with Jayden Ellis.
Joel Piper - Maroochydore - Open Male
Piper relocated to the Sunshine Coast from New South Wales in 2021 in search of becoming a professional ironman and he’s since had a cracking season in 2023 and 2024.
He comes into Aussies with a solid summer of surf resume and as a junior was crowned Australian board, ski and Ironman champion
Is a key local hope to watch in the coming days.
Carla Papac - Noosa Heads - Open Female
Papac is a former Coolangatta Gold winner who has been training at Noosa since her victory.
She also competed in the Nutri-Grain series and comes into Aussies with solid form.
Emma Woods - Alexandra Headland - Open Female
Is the older sister to Zoe Woods (U17) and finished one point outside of the top 10 in the Nutri-Grain series this season.
She picked up a win during the summer of surf series and is continuing to rise after a respectable year so far.
Tiarnee Massie - Maroochydore - Open Female
Another top tier talent that will be a sentimental favourite for the locals.
She finished fifth in the Nutri-Grain series and is a key hope in the open ironwoman.
Dom Stitt -Mooloolaba - Open Female
Stitt burst onto the Nutri-Grain scene later this season and ended up accumulating 15 points from her five competitive rounds.
The 21-year-old started her surf lifesaving journey when she was seven at Kawana Waters SLSC but has since competed for Maroochydore SLSC and now bases herself with Mooloolaba SLSC under head coach and former ironman Rhys Drury.
Tayla Halliday - Alexandra Headland - Open Female
Halliday competed for the first four rounds of the Nutri-Grain series where she finished on 25 ladder points and was able to sneak inside the top 10 at Maroubra Beach.
She’s known for never leaving a stone unturned and will be in the mix again during the carnival.
Gemma Smith-Welch - Sunshine Beach - Open Female
Smith-Welch is another key athlete to watch after her performances in the Nutri-Grain series this season.
She is a great swimmer and made the iron final at states.
She will also form teams with Outram and Freya Wilson who is Dylan’s older sister.
This trio will be strong in board rescue, board relay, belt races, the rescue tube rescue and Taplin.
MASTERS
Former Athens Olympian and triathlete Simon Thompson and coach Wes Berg will team in the board rescue together for Sunshine Beach while Peter Borain, Alison Pegg and Petra Porter are the leading hopefuls for Noosa.
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