MOOLOOLABA RETAINS TOP OUTRIGGER BILLING BUT CRADLE COAST ARE ON THE MOVE
AOCRA, February 6, 2012: Mooloolaba has maintained its position as Australia’s leading outrigger canoe club, scooping the pool at the OAMPS Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association’s (AOCRA) National Sprint Championships at Kawana Lakes on the Sunshine Coast on the weekend.
The leading Sunshine Coast club won the Overall Pointscore, the Senior Pointscore and the Junior Pointscore in an event dominated by Queensland Clubs.
The Mooloolaba club was spearheaded by amazing “Supermum” Amanda Ozolins, the mother of two, who won the V1, OC1, OC2 (with Lea Curtis) and as a member of the club’s renown OC6 combination.
The club’s juniors spearheaded by Rebecca Rasmussen and Mitchell Olds and the OC6 depth steered by the likes of leading Australian waterman Danny Sheard were also among a host of standout performers.
The overall pointscore saw Mooloolaba amass 491 points from Brisbane 204 with the only non-Queensland club featuring in any of the top ten pointscores, the Emily Probert led Cradle Coast, out of Burnie in Tasmania, edging Northcliffe for third, 135 to 111.
Probert, just 15, was the individual star of the weekend, winning six gold medals from six events in the V1, OC1 and OC2 events – claiming two individual OC1 titles and three OC2s, including the open mixed gold with Leigh Paine.
The Seniors saw Mooloolaba (262) finish well ahead of Brisbane (164) and Northcliffe (111) and it was a similar story in the juniors with Mooloolaba way in front on 229 with Canoe Point (Cairns) second on 96 and the ever improving Cradle Coast third on 69.
AOCRA President Mark Forbes was delighted with the weekend’s action, which drew over 700 competitors from every State in Australia.
Forbes said that one third of all points accrued are attributable to juniors, showing the strong involvement of juniors in the sport.
“The encouraging thing was the attendance and the performances of the juniors. This regatta was co-hosted by the Junior Development Committee so any funds raised will go straight back into junior development,” said Forbes.
“The top 10 male and top 10 female junior paddlers combined accrued 43 percent more points than the top 10 male and top 10 female seniors combined.
“It is also interesting to note that nearly half of the Cradle Coast points are attributable to the V1, OC1, OC2 results of Emily Probert, who scored nearly double the points of the top adult female, Robyn Saultry.
“The weekend was a huge success and I am sure the visiting clubs certainly enjoyed coming to the Sunshine Coast as much as we enjoyed having them.”
2012 National Sprint Titles, Kawana Lakes, Club Pointscores, Top 10:
| Seniors Mooloolaba 262 Brisbane 164 Northcliffe 111 Noosa 99 Burleigh Point 78 Hekili 74 Cradle Coast (Tas) 66 Fraser Coast 47 Outrigger Australia 47 Panamuna 4 |
Juniors |
Overall Mooloolaba 491 Brisbane 204 Cradle Coast (Tas) 135 Northcliffe 111 Outrigger Australia 104 Canoe Point 99 Noosa 99 Burleigh Point 78 Hekili 74 Fraser Coast 47 |
