Athletics
There is an old saying that it never rains but it pours.
However, this time it is not rain that is pouring but success. Success, yet again achieved by the youth of our Noosa community, on the international athletic arena, of track and field .
Two weeks ago, we were celebrating 19-year-old Taj Marsh winning medals at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in India. Now it is several of our athletes contesting track and field in various countries throughout Europe.
From Mick Hooper senior IAAF head coach Noosa Athletics, comes the good news. Zane Blanco backed up his long Jump silver medal in Italy, and his gold medal in Malta, with another podium finish in Finland, jumping 7.70 m to take the bronze.
At the same time Kristie Edwards won the bronze in Italy for the 100m sprint, another bronze in Belgium in the 200m sprint, and silver in Ireland for the same event.
Then on 23 July, Kristie competed in the world class London Diamond League meet as a part of the Australian 4x100m relay team, placing fifth This kept them within the ranking criteria, thus gaining a spot at the world athletics championships to be held at Budapest, from 19 to 27 August.
Zane and Kristie, will now head to Chengdu China for the World University Games. Zane will compete in the long jump and Kristie 100 and 200m sprints from 28 July to 8 August.
Then on a local note, 14-year-old Noosa athlete Luca Gerrard competed last weekend at the Gold Coast Junior International Coast to Coast meet, which featured athletes from the USA and New Zealand.
This young man had an outstanding competition winning gold in both the long jump and the triple and bronze in the 200 m and fourth in the 100. Regarding the results, coach Hooper said, ‘’Both Zane and Kristie now have a big improvement in the international ranking: and a vast improvement in the winter season.’’
Now with great result in both weightlifting and athletics, it speaks volumes for the high standard of coaching within the ranks of our weightlifting and athletic clubs. This should definitely be a great indicator for families, whose young ones are at the age of choosing a sport.
Outriggers
According to club spokesman Colin Jones it’s a quiet time. A good time for coaching, ,and planning for the season ahead.
However, club president Bodo Lenitschek, travelled to compete in the Hekla Great Barrier Reef Ovean Challenge race held in Cairns. This gruelling event sees paddlers heading out from Yorkeys Knob in Cairns and heading north for 45k, into Port Douglas, Bodo finished fourth in his age group, paddling an OC1 (for the uninitiated) a single man canoe, completing the race in 4 hrs 20 min, averaging 10km an hour.
Meanwhile three of his fellow club members are training with their fellow paddlers, having made the Australian teams in their various age groups, for the World Titles to be held in Samoa. Muz Latham was with his team mates in the Platinum Masters Men, training on the river Sunday morning. No doubt, Rose Edyvene and Sandra Kennedy were doing the same.
The titles will be held in Samoa on 10-19 August. This event was originally scheduled for 2021. However, due to Covid-19 it was postponed to this year. Looking ahead the next race for our local paddlers will be held on August 12.
Here we go again. Another of our sporting clubs has had members chosen to represent Australian on an international level. To Muz Latham, Rose Edyvene and Sandra Kennedy our congratulations and best wishers at the World Titles.
The Pacific Coast Ocean Racing Series consists of four events from May to September, starting with the Brisbane Paddling Clubs’ Moreton Bay Ocean Paddle, the Mooloolaba Paddlers Nordic Kayaks Beach to Beach Ocean Race, the Paddle 14 Beaches Ocean Racing State Championships and finishing with the Fraser Coast Regional Councils Hervey Bay Ocean Classic.
While these races include stand up paddle boarders, outrigger canoes and skis, they are separate to events sanctioned, by Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association.
Karate
Last weekend 12 members of Karate Noosa, travelled to Brisbane to contest the JKA (Japan Karate Association) Queensland State Championships. Members ranged from children aged eight to adults.
Head coach, Bryan Dukas 6th Dan, was happy with the overall result.
“All members showed great standards and this resulted in their coming home with medals.”
The team’s performance resulted in 22 medals – 11gold, 7 silver and 4 bronze.
“For members Bianca Finn, Amy Cavanagh, Sophia Innis and Mikayla Dukas this tournament has been a great preparation for the World Championships to be held in Tokyo in November.”
From Shotokan clubs in Australia, 25 competitors will travel to Tokyo for the tournament: six of these being from Karate Noosa. Regarding instructors/ coaches, Bryan Dukas will be joined by other instructors from Victoria, South Australia and West Australia. To have six of our Noosa members competing, speaks volumes for the training and discipline of Karate Noosa.
Pool rescue carnival
For our surf lifesavers, the weekend saw the Queensland Pool Rescue Championships held in Cairns. For Sunshine Beach SLSC, nine made the journey to represent their club.
Now the Sunshine Pool Rescue Team is preparing for Australian Titles. The titles will be held in August on the Gold Coast, a 30 strong team from Sunshine, will compete.
After the two-day competition in Cairns, Sunshine finished with a total of 13 medals, 10 silver and three bronze.
The team whose performance across the board was first class was Taylah Tompkins, Ashlee Cameron, Claire Cameron, Ruby Davis, Tallow Crouch, Ava Gooderham, Senna Grevling, Grace Davis and Niamh Arthur. They contested 11 different events and Wes Berg and support group can take pride.
Noosa had three officials, Tim Irvine, Barry Leek and Laurie Beer working the two days. A journey from Noosa to Cairns to officiate, should be commended.
Rugby League
Saturday, Noosa Pirates home game against the Caboolture Snakes. Reserve grade, slow start saw Caboolture put on two early tries. Then Pirates started to click and half time saw them recover enough, to go to the sheds 8-6 down. Momentum on their side’ second half, saw a better effort from Pirates: two quick tries made it 18-8 lead.
However, a lap in concentration by Pirates, made it an 18 all game. With Pirates missing two field goal attempts a draw seemed on the cards. However, on the last kick of the day Lachlan Gladman, kicked the winner with a deflected field goal, Noosa 20 Caboolture 18.Best on field for Noosa was Rod Mawn, scoring two tries.
With the day being a celebration of women in rugby league A grade was moved back to the curtain raiser.
“A strong start from our boys led by front rower Kris Williams and five-eight/captain Dan Moveao set the pace. We went into the half time break up 18-6, on the back of great tries from Harrison O’Toole, Vincent Law and George Fisher.
“The second half was very similar when we dominated the mid-field with our forward pack. Again, some smart footy from Moveao and Ethan Pohlner produced four more tries enabling us to finish strongly over Caboolture 42-16. Centre Sane Embleton had another strong game in both attack and defence. Young lock Harry Dwyer was again strong in the middle, making line breaks and late offloads. Credit goes to young front rower Keegan McKinnon who scored a try in his A grade debut,” said Mick Duff.
Next Sunday Pirates travel to Maroochydore for a third place on the ladder.
Women’s team suffering a 36-6 loss against a very physical Caboolture. They will need to win their three remaining games, against Gympie Beerwah and Caloundra for a chance to enter the post-season.
The score was somewhat deceptive, for the fact Noosa only conceded two first half tries, they had much better game stats then their previous games against the Snakes. However, lapses in defence and an inability to turn good field positions into points saw the visitors run away with the game.
Special mention to Mikayla ‘Shorty’ Sweeney who scored her first try for the Pirates in senior football after pouncing on a towering Maria Graf kick. There is a nervous wait ahead till the club learns the full extent of a sternum injury to star forward Franciny Amaral. Next week discussion regarding women in football.
