Best stories from Australian surf life saving titles: NSW results, competitors of the carnival
There were tears, plenty of cheers, victories years in the making and extraordinary performances from a young athlete and an iron star. Best stories out of the Aussies 2021.
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There were great wins, fabulous comebacks and brilliant performances from individual clubs.
The 2021 Australian surf life saving titles finished on the weekend after nine days of competition on the Sunshine Coast.
We look back on some of the best stories out of the championships.
GEORGIA MILLER NAMED FEMALE COMPETITOR OF THE AUSSIES
Ironwoman Georgia Miller is making up for last time.
Shattered when last year’s Australian surf life saving titles were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Miller made sure every race counted this time round.
Before lunch on the final day, the northern beaches born and bred star had added to her medal stash with victories in both the swim and board races at the Aussies.
Soon after she won gold medals eight and nine with victories in the ironwoman and then the Taplin for her Northcliffe club.
“That’s my fourth swim title now so I’m ecstatic,’’ Miller said after her surf race win over.
Northcliffe’s Laura Taylor and Manly’s Naomi Scott.
“They’re so tough to win, they really are and to win that one, I’m shocked. I think it’s probably the fastest swim field I’ve ever been in, so I’m over the moon.’’
Miller then backed up soon after to win gold in the board, beating clubmate Danielle McKenzie and Newport’s Lizzie Welborn.
But it was her ironwoman victory which had the crowd on its feat as she defended the crown she won back in 2019.
NEWPORT TEENAGER NAMED MALE COMPETITOR OF THE AUSSIES
It seemed every time Mitch Morris hit the water, success followed in his wake.
The young gun from Newport was named the Male Competitor of the Australian titles at its conclusion on the weekend.
The 16-year-old competed across three age groups - the U17, U19s and opens and tasted success in all three.
His gold medals included the U17 Ironperson, Taplin and single ski relay and Open Mixed Lifesaver Relay.
NORTH BONDI’S SPECIAL WIN IN TAPLIN
It was a win that saw the beach erupt on the final day of the Australian surf life saving championships.
The North Bondi Taplin team - comprising two swimmer, two ski paddlers and two board paddlers - winning their first ever gold medal.
It was also the first time a NSW club has won the prestigious team event since Newport in 2016 and sparked emotional celebrations.
“It is so good, so, so good,’’ said Atlanta kayak Olympian turned coach Jimmy Walker.
“This win has been a long time in the making.
“In 1990 we did it for the first time and we got a bronze in 2000.
“Four of these six guys are Nippers from the club so its very special.’’
The teams was made up of Charlie Verco, Jackson Collins, Noah Havard, Samuel Braun, Jarrod Poort and Ned Wieland.
STUNNING NEWPORT SKI TRIFECTA
It was a win eight years in the making - and well worth the wait.
There were tears and cheers as the Newport team of Luke Jones, Mitchell Trim lead home a stunning club trifecta in a thrilling double ski final.
When Jones, who turned 36 this week, and Trim crossed the finish line they jumped overboard to hug in celebration, allowing their ski to wash to shore.
Jones then phoned his wife and daughter to share the news as the club celebrated loud and proud on the beach.
“Gold medals are hard enough to win but I”m lucky enough to do it with my best mate,’’ said Jones.
“To have all my other mates (from Newport) there doing this with me, very special.
“I first joined Newport in 2014 (from Seacliff, SA) and I haven’t looked back.
“These team events are very special and it shows today how much everyone means to each other.’’
Jones and Trim beat Jayke Rees and Max Brooks for the gold with Greg Tobin and Luke Morrison taking the bronze.
“There was a lot of emotion coming across that finish line because it means a lot, this old guy (Luke) is only going to get older, I’m just glad we took our opportunity today,’’ Trim said.
“It’s been eight years in the making. We’ve had some really nice paddles but we couldn’t put it all together at Aussies. I’m very happy we could do it today.’’
IRONWOMAN TARA COLEMAN’S COMEBACK FROM SURGERY
Four years after she raced at her last Australian surf life saving championships Tara Coleman is pinching herself.
Not only has the Maroubra surf life saver made Saturday’s final of the ironwoman race she is also in with a shot of winning medals in the board and swim finals.
“It’s unbelievable,’’ said Coleman, still riding eye-catching boards and skis painted in the colours of her beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team.
Coleman only returned to competition last October after a shocking injury iced her professional ironwoman career.
After rehabilitating for sevens months in bid to repair a groin injury she finally underwent a groin reconstruction surgery in 2017.
“It’s not really that well known but it’s common in rugby league. My brother Liam had one as well,’’ said Coleman, 30, whose father Craig is a former professional rugby league player with South Sydney.
“It was supposed to be a three month recovery but it didn’t heal and then I hurt the other side.
“I just couldn’t do anything.
“Then last October I thought I’d go back down to the club and train a bit and now I’m in three finals.
“But to be honest, I’m just happy to be back.’’
NEWPORT TWINS JAKE AND MITCH MORRIS CLAIM TAPLIN GOLD
Newport continued its great run at the Australian titles with twins Jake and Mitch Morris and teammate Bailey Clues racing off with the gold in the U17 Taplin relay.
Also excelling was the inform Swansea Belmont team of Beau McGregor, Flynn Hamilton and Kurt Murphy who finished with the silver.
The Northcliffe team of Lilly Findley, Jamie Perkins and Claudia Bailey won gold in the girls event from North Bondi’s Caprice Stokes, Bernadette Highes and Lily Finati, with Avoca’s Bronte Ayres, Mia Cracknell and Natalia Drobot picking up bronze,
NORTH BONDI, WANDA, CRONULLA AND NORTH CRONULLA ON GOLDEN STREAK
Sydney clubs from the eastern suburbs and Sutherland shire have pulled off an extraordinary cleansweep of the newest event in surf lifesaving - a dynamic 2x1km beach relay - on Thursday.
North Bondi raced off with three of the six crowns while Shire clubs won the other three gold medals on offer.
The North Bondi team of teenagers Sophie Ferenczi and Caprice Stokes) kicked off the sweep by winning the U17 gold from Elouera (Casey Mood, Gabriella Mramor) and Port Noarlunga (Summer Corbett, Victoria Barnes).
The under 17 boys team of Hugh and Thomas Clothier then replicated the feat for a second gold medal for the club, beating fellow brothers Bailey and Levi Sommers from Mollymook with the Maroochydore team of Jacob Bristow and Thomas Wischusen third.
The Wanda team of surf race gold medallist Nathan Jay and Kai Hammond then won the U19 race from Coogee (Marcus Littlejohn, Bailey Habler) and Scarboro (Ben Johnson, Zachariah Coleman).
North Cronulla’s Tiarne McGrath and Tiahna Woodger replicated the feat in the U19s, finishing ahead of Northcliffe’s Hannah Schmidt and Eva Parish and South Melbourne’s Daisy Graham and Sarah Robinson.
The open men’s race was taken out by ironman Jack Robinson and duathlon racer Nathan Breen from Cronulla with the pair beating Wanda’s Kai Hammond and Ali Najem and Tallebudgera’s Samuel McAuliffe and Jack Lund.
The women’s gold was snatched by North Bondi’s Rique Miroshnik and Paris Tier from Wanda’s Melissa Campbell and Chloe Gentle and Wanda’s Carla Papac and Lara Hughes.
GOLD TO NORTH BONDI U17 GIRLS AND SWANSEA BELMONT U17 BOYS
The North Bondi club had more to celebrate in the afternoon with the teenage team of Lily Finati and Bernadette Hughes claiming gold in the board rescue to the delight of their clubmates.
The youngster beat the Swansea Belmont team of Isabella Campbell and Kaylee Dowsett for the gold with Metropolitan Caloundra’s Imogen Hiley and Maggie Princehorn third.
“We have been doing board relay since the 14s and we really wanted to do well today,’’ said Finati.
The Swansea Belmont team of Beau McGregor and Kurt Murphy were equally determine to do well.
“This is awesome,’’ McGregor said. “We have been training all year and we are a kind of underdogs with all these big teams but have come good with the win.’’
The pair beat the Newport team of Jake and Mitch Morris for the gold with Currumbin’s Callum Brennan and Hugh Munro claiming bronze.
MANLY YOUNGSTERS BAG SILVER IN BOARD RESCUE
Manly teenagers Georgia Singleton and Madi Ward have been paddling together since the U14s and this long-term partnership came up trumps on Thursday with the pair winning a silver medal in the board rescue.
“We have paddled together for so long so this is awesome,’’ said Singleton said.
“I think we got a silver in the U14s but nothing since so this is awesome.’’
The Alexandra Headland team of Tayla Hailliday and Emma Woods won with the Swansea Belmont duo of Bella Williams and Eliza Johnson third.
NEWPORT PAIR SNARE SILVER IN MIXED BOARD RELAY
It was an event contested by six father and daughter teams, former ironman champions like Darren Mercer and an array of budding Olympic kayak stars.
NSW teams took the minor placings as Northcliffe’s Danielle McKenzie and Mackenzie Hynard claimed gold.
Top ironwoman and ocean paddler Jemma Smith teamed with Mitchell Trim to deliver Newport a silver with Brianna Massie and Jackson Collins earning North Bondi a bronze.
Avoca’s Ella Beere and Fletcher Armstrong, two of Australia’s rising stars of paddling, finished fourth.
FORMER NORTHERN BEACHES GUN GEORGIA MILLER ON WINNING RUN
Former Manly star Georgia Miller has continued her preparations for the ironwoman final on Saturday with another gold medal winning performance at the Aussie titles.
Now racing for the Northcliffe club on the Gold Coast, Miller teamed with Maddy Dunn for victory in the open board rescue despite admitting they had not trained for the event.
“We are undefeated in this event since we have been paddling together so this is awesome,’’ Miller said.
The event simulates a beach rescue and is an important race.
“Some people think it’s silly but when someone is out there drowning it’s crucial you get to them fast,’’ Dunn said
NSW IRONWOMAN ISSUE CHALLENGE TO QUEENSLAND
Back in 2006 Manly ironwoman Naomi Flood held off the might of her Queensland rivals to win the prestigious Australian iron crown for NSW.
It was the last time anyone other than a Queenslander has won the Australian ironwoman crown.
On Wednesday, new mum Flood, with five-week old daughter Bella in her arms and now a coach at the powerhouse Northcliffe club on the Gold Coast, watched eight NSW athletes qualify for the ironwoman final on Saturday on the Sunshine Coast.
NSW IRONWOMEN INTO AUSTRALIA SURF LIFE SAVING FINALS
It is the biggest field of athletes representing NSW clubs in recent memory with Newport snagging the lions share of the finals spots courtesy of Lizzie Welborn, Jemma Smith, Emily Doyle and Maddy Spencer.
Also from the northern beaches is Manly’s Naomi Scott with Wanda’s Britney Pierce and Carla Papac also making it through along with Maroubra’s Tara Coleman.
Georgia Miller, originally from the northern beaches, now trains on the Gold Coast under Flood and is the defending Australian ironwoman champion.
In the men’s ironman racing, only two NSW athletes advanced into Saturday’s final in Newport's Jackson Borg and Cronulla’s Jay Furniss.
Defending champion Max Brooks from Newport failed it make it through and Manly star Kendrick Louis did not compete with a calf injury.
IRONWOMAN FINAL START LIST
1. Lizzie Welborn (Newport); 2. Tiarnee Massie (Maroochydore); 3. Lana Rogers (Alexandra Headland); 4. Georgia Miller (BMD Northcliffe); 5. Jemma Smith (Newport); 6. Danielle McKenzie (BMD Northcliffe); 7. Courtney Hancock (Surfers Paradise); 8. Electra Outram (Noosa Heads); 9. Emily Doyle (Newport); 10. Tara Coleman (Maroubra); 11. Brielle Cooper (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park); 12. Britney Pierce (Wanda); 13. Naomi Scott (Manly); 14. Madison Spencer (Newport); 15. Carla Papac (Wanda); 16. Lily Cracknell (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park).
IRONMAN FINAL START LIST
1. Wes Gould (Kurrawa); Matt Bevilacqua (BMD Northcliffe); 3. Jay Furnace (Cronulla); 4. Ali Day (Surfers Paradise); 5. Ben Carberry (Currumbin); 6. Cooper Williams (Alexandra Headland); 7. Hayden Cotter (Maroochydore); 8. Ky Kinsela (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park); 9. Jackson Borg (Newport); 10. Matt Poole (BMD Northcliffe); 11. Nathan Gray (Surfers Paradise); 12. Corey Fletcher (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park); 13. Max Beattie (Surfers Paradise); 14. Hayden White (Currumbin); 15. Daniel Barron (Mermaid Beach); 16. Jackson Maynard (Currumbin).
NEWPORT WIN OPEN BOARD RELAY AT AUSSIES
Late on Wednesday Newport’s Zach Morris unleashed a powerful beach sprint to help Newport claim a historic board relay crown at Maroochydore.
Morris teamed with Borg and Charlie Brooks to win the event from Burleigh and Surfers Paradise.
“It was a team effort. They put me in a gun position. It’s juts great to win,’’ Morris said.
“It feels awesome. This is the first time ever Newport has won.’’
SWANSEA BELMONT CLAIM EXTRAORDINARY U17 AND U19 BOARD RELAY GOLD MEDALS
It rained gold in a magic hour of competition for the Swansea Belmont club.
The U17 board relay outfit claimed gold with the U19 team of Kye Taylor, Nicholas Stoddart and Beau McGregor following suits soon after.
Kye Taylor came from behind in one the most thrilling finishes of the day to deliver the club the U19 title at Maroochydore via a brilliantly timed beach sprint.
“It’s awesome. I’m glad to do it for the boys,’’ Taylor said.
“I just backed myself but we had to fight for it.
“I was just listening to everyone screaming and it got me over the line.’’
In a NSW trifecta, the Swansea Belmont team of Flynn Hamilton, Beau McGregor and Kurt Murphy won the Australian title with the Terrigal team of Ryan Green, Nicholas Green and Jack Baker winning silver and the North Bondi team of Benedict Christensen, Hugh Clothier and Thomas Clothier the bronze.
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