TOP 10: Warwick’s 2020 sporting triumphs
From rugby league to polocrosse - this year’s triumphs have had it all.
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SPORT: Through a season of setbacks, Warwick’s athletes have still found a way to rise above and triumph in their sport of choice.
From rugby league to swimming, and everything in between, the Daily News remembers the best of biggest sporting wins of 2020 on the regional, national, and international stages.
Cricketers break 32-year losing streak
For Mitch’s/Brownie’s XI team, taking out the 2020 Australia Day cricket carnival was a win 32 years in the making.
The team clinched victory in an exciting T20 final against Jonesy’s XI, in which Lachlan Berge and Tom Philip were named as standouts for their “second-to-none” efforts in batting and bowling.
After previous year of winning 17 games in a row and still not taking the title, team captain Harrison Glasgow said the win would certainly be one to remember.
“Most importantly, we do it for (Mark) Brownie and Mitch (Simon), that’s who we’re playing for and that’s who the win is for – it’s for them.”
For the full story, click here.
Athletes win big at Sports Star Awards
In February, the Warwick Credit Union and Daily News held their annual Sports Star of the Year awards dinner, recognising the achievements of the region’s top 22 athletes.
Junior Sports Star of the Year was awarded to swimming sensation Henry Reardon for his five-medal haul at the 2019 Australian Age Championships, and Bailey Harm also took home the Doc Bodimeade Memorial Encouragement Award for his performance in the pool.
A number of senior athletes were recognised, with the Senior Sports Star of the Year award given to young boxer Jake Wyllie for representing his country at fights in Hong Kong and Darwin.
For the full story, click here.
Fight raises staggering drought-relief funds
The Fight for Farmers event may have ended with a few bruised egos and tense friendships, but the night also raised a huge $13,000 for drought-stricken farmers.
17 fights went ahead on the night, with plenty of amateur fighters from Warwick and its surrounds eager to get in the ring and take a few hits for their community.
Event organiser Chris Fox said he never expected to raise such a total, and was impressed with the calibre of fighting from a largely inexperienced line-up.
“They were all pretty good fights – it didn’t seem like there was a bad fight among them,” he said.
For the full story, click here.
Young swimming sensation makes a splash
Bailey Harm scored even more success in the pool this year, claiming three gold medals in individual events at the Queensland State Sprint Championship.
Harm defended his 50m freestyle title with a cracking 28.42 second race, and also medalled in the backstroke and breaststroke events.
Only weeks later in March, the 12-year-old made waves yet again when he smashed a 21-year record in the 100m freestyle at the Darling Downs regional trials.
Coach Andrew Fidge said he was “incredibly proud” of the young swimmer’s performances, and was keen to see where he would go next.
For the full stories, click here and here.
Warwick golf pro aces NZ Open
PGA professional Sam Eaves did Warwick proud when he shot a hole-in-one at the New Zealand Open in March.
Despite only qualifying for the event days earlier, Eaves landed the shot of the day on the par-3 13th hole at the 101st Open.
As part of the Drive for Good initiative, the ace earned the PGA pro a Hyundai Kona Electric to donate to a charity of the public’s choice, along with a tidy $5,000 for himself.
“It’s always pretty good scoring over there (in New Zealand), so I’m just very happy with how I did,” Eaves said.
For the full story, click here.
Cowboys claim Barrett Shield victory
In March, the Warwick Cowboys claimed bragging rights over their cross-town rivals Wattles Warriors with a 20-14 victory in the Barrett Shield.
Two tries early in the first half gave the Cowboys a decent lead, though an undisciplined start to the second half meant the Warwick side had to dig deep to come away with the win.
Player of the match was awarded to hooker Ben Sullivan, whose defensive efforts were credited by coach Matt Grew as a “massive” part of the team’s win.
The Barrett Shield contest was one of the only chances the Cowboys and Wattles had to compete, with the TRL season postponed and eventually cancelled only weeks later.
For the full story, click here.
Maryvale cricketers complete three-peat
It was third time lucky for Maryvale at the 2020 Condamine Cup, with the back-to-back championships taking out the hotly contested title for yet another year.
At Slade Park, the side beat out fierce rival the Colts with a final score of 206 to 64, defying a season plagued by wet weather and washouts.
Maryvale captain Paul Bourke said his team’s performance far exceeded his expectations.
“This is our third win in a row, so we’re pretty stoked … I really didn’t think we’d get them out at that score, I thought no way we would.”
For the full story, click here.
Rising star earns spot at Sydney nationals
Teen sensation Nick Denny booked himself a ticket to a national competition at Sydney’s Olympic Park after a stellar performance at the Queensland Athletics Championship.
At the Queensland Athletics Championships in March, the 14-year-old walked away with two gold medals and one silver from the 100m, 200m, and long jump events respectively.
Also securing a personal best, Denny said he was surprised to have competed as well as he did after devoting much of his pre-season to swimming training.
“I just have to keep my eye on the goal, which is the finish line, and just try to get there as fast as possible,” he said.
For the full story, click here.
Powerhouse duo awarded life membership
Huge names in the regional and national polocrosse community, Les and Robyn Fraser were recognised with life membership to the Polocrosse Association of Australia in April.
The announcement was made during the association’s annual general meeting via Zoom, and came as a huge surprise to the couple.
Les remains the longest-playing member in the association, kicking off his career in 1961, and said he has no plans to stop anytime soon.
“The goal is to keep taking the game forward. We’ve got to take some action to kickstart our sport to the best of our ability in the time we have left,” he said.
For the full story, click here.
Wyllie wins big, taking first pro fight in record time
Warwick boxer Jake Wyllie clinched a quick and convincing victory in his first professional fight last month, taking the win in less than two minutes.
Backed by his family, coaching team, and a huge number of supporters at TGW Stadium in Toowoomba, the 20-year-old knocked down opponent Prasong Wichama three times in one minute and 59 seconds.
Wyllie said the relatively easy win took him and his team by surprise, but was pleased to see his months of intense training and sparring work had paid off.
Coach Damien Lawler was equally impressed by his pupil’s performance, and looked forward to seeing where the young talent would go next.
For the full story, click here.
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