An action-packed day of drama and determination saw new champions crowned and a series of events left on a knife’s edge heading into Sunday at the 2023 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly supported by Your local club.
A number of events including the Ironperson, Beach Flags, and the Surf and Board Races were played out through Heats, Quarter and Semi Finals but will see the Final contested on Sunday; a day in which the Age Championships overall point score winners and several major titles will be decided.
Many events did see winners crowned, though, and the third day of Age Championships kicked off with two of the most exciting events on the card – the All Age Beach and Board Relays. Six athletes, one each from U9-U14, contest the events that always prove to be crowd pleasers.
North Bondi SLSC continued its assault on the overall point score crown with a win in the Board Relay, while South Maroubra SLSC began what would prove to be a very successful day on the track with gold in the Beach Relay.
Indeed, South Maroubra would notch two more wins – first in the U12 Male Beach Sprint with Dewa Putu Krishna Inder and second with a one-two finish in the U13 Male Sprint for Rory Muldowney and Ryan McNamara.
This would be complemented by a spattering of silver medals in the U14 Male Beach Sprint (Dylan Sharpe), the U11 Female Sprint (Capri Vincent), the U11 Male Beach Relay and the U13 Male and Mixed Relays.
The former of those runner up races, Dylan can feel proud of his run in the U14 Sprint – pushing incumbent and heavily favoured champion, Miller Siasat from Gerringong all the way.
In the water, Black Head SLSC kicked the day off with a huge win in the U13 Female Board Relay, unseating three-time champions, Cudgen Headland SLSC at the winners table having fallen just short in the same race a year earlier.
The team of Ashleigh and Ella Pegrum, alongside Bronte Kippax, looked like they might be settling for second again when they came out of the water on the final leg behind North Curl Curl SLSC but a strong run up the beach saw the Lower North Coast team assume the lead with just metres to go.
It’s the final step in a three-year plan instituted by experienced and talented coach, Marty Cowper, who the girls intended to make proud with their efforts. Marty’s move from Mona Vale in recent years has been a boon for the young team at Black Head, and the state title in the Board Relay with the club’s only U13 competitors is a sweet result from the hard work.
Swansea Belmont SLSC earned a pair of medals for the Hunter, each gold, in the U11 and U13 Male Board Relays. For the Central Coast, Terrigal SLSC grabbed a good win in the U11 Male Beach Relay and Umina SLSC earned one of the last gold medals of the day in the U13 Female Surf Teams.
The 2023 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly presented by Your local club, continues tomorrow with ‘Finals Sunday’ – a chance for our best up-and-coming U11-U14 athletes to show their skills in events like the Ironperson, Board and Surf Race, and Beach Flags. The always impressive March Past will also feature.
Next week, Masters and Open athletes will compete, along with Surf Boats.
Full results can be accessed here.
Saturday 25 February 2023