AGE NO BARRIER FOR MASTERS AND APPRENTICES AT AOCRA SPRINT NATIONALS
OUTRIGGER CANOE, February 4: A combination of the masters and the apprentices saw Mooloolaba paddlers dominate the opening day of the three-day AOCRA National Outrigger Sprint Titles which attracted over 2000 paddlers to Coomera Lake, Regatta Waters at Oxenford on the Gold Coast today.
Led by Open Men's head coach and legendary Sunshine Coast surf ski paddler Danny Sheard and emerging 16-year-old Tara McAleenan, the Mooloolaba team cleaned up the majority of the gold medals on offer.
The first day's racing was confined to the rudderless V1 and the OC2 boats over 250m and 500m with a full program of 500m OC1 and OC6 sprint events set down for Saturday and OC6 1500m events and V12 races on Sunday.
Sheard, the spearhead behind so much of Mooloolaba's Outrigging success over the last 20 years, led by example with wins in the V1 500 Senior Masters and with club mate Andrew Jones in the OC2 500 Senior Masters.
McAleenan, at just 16, again showed why she is one of the real emerging stars of the sport with victories in the under 16 and under 19, V1 finals and she will start favourite to defend her National titles in both age groups in the OC1 events tomorrow.
"Tara knows how to pull water and that's a good start. She's a very talented paddler and certainly a good example of the kind of paddler coming through our ranks," said Sheard, who will himself line up with the Mooloolaba crews chasing the OC6 titles over the weekend.
"We have been back on the water as a club for the past three weeks and the first day's results are certainly very encouraging.
"Mooloolaba is looking forward to the rest of the weekend with some very competitive OC6 crews who are all pushing themselves in training.
"One thing is certain at Mooloolaba - it's always very willing between our open men, Masters and Senior Masters."
Sheard himself remains as competitive as he was in the 1980s when he partnered the great Grant Kenny to win two Australian double ski crowns with Alexandra Headland.
And while most people are feeling their age when they get to 50 and are starting to slow down, Sheard is happy to have joined his "older" mates in the Senior Masters division for this year's Molokai Channel race, an event he will paddle for the 14th time.
‘The crew I had paddled with for so long were older than me but now that I'm 50 I get to go up a division and I'm happy to re-join them," said Sheard.
Meanwhile training sessions on Currumbin Creek and at Northcliffe paid dividends for the Brisbane Outriggers after they scooped the pool in the OC2 events winning the Open Men's OC2 (Jonathon Bloxom and Harley Howerth), the Open Women's OC2 Women (Kathryn East and Mei Leisa Tuicolo), the Golden Masters Women's OC2 (Pam Prescott and Jill Duffield) and the Open Mixed OC2 (Kathryn East and Chad Raines).
Currumbin-based Brisbane paddler, Pam Prescott co-ordinated the Gold Coast sessions at Northcliffe and Outrigger Australia headquarters on Currumbin Creek after the River City paddlers were unable to train on the flooded ravaged water way last month.
Among some of the other eye catching performances came from:
- Sunshine Coast club Panamuna with Lisa Ratana winning the V1 Open Women's final and Tracey Grimish and Jennifer Morcom OC2 Senior Masters.
- Tweed Coast pair of Bob Edmonds and Lyn Andrews who won the hotly contested inaugural Platinum (Over 60 years) OC 2 final before Edmonds combined with John Hansen to add the Platinum OC2 500.
- Noosa combination Derek and Wendy Mabbott who triumphed in the Golden Masters OC2 500.
- Mooloolaba's Nicholas Wendy (Boys Under 19 V1 500); Tyler McGrath (Boys Under 12 V1 250), Ainsley Roberts (Girls Under 12 V1 250); Siam O'Neil (Girls under 14 V1 250); Jenny Rasmussen (Women's Senior Masters V1 500); Ainsley Roberts and Eli Reeder (Under 12 OC2 250) and Mark Forbes and Ron Grabbe (Golden Masters OC2 500).
- Northcliffe's Daryl Wetere who won the Masters V1 500 and combined with his wife Melissa to take out the Mixed Masters OC2 500 and Cozette Reynolds and Rosette Galea who won the Platinum division OC2 500.
- Fraser Coast's Te Otimi Patara who won the under 16 Boys V1 500 and combined with Jenaya Davis to win the under 19 Mixed OC2 500 and the winning OC2 500 Masters Women's team of Sonia Edwards and Alison Sewell.
- West Coast pair Anne Williams and Ian Williams who won the OC2 500 Senior Masters Mixed.
- Cradle Coast, Tasmania pair Leigh Paine and Mark Probert who won gold in the OC2 500 Masters Men at the clubs first ever National Championships.
- Canoe Point (Gladstone) who had great success with Mitchell Olds taking out the Open Men's V1 500; Tyrone Davis the Under 14 Boys V1 500; Tyrone Davis and Jessica Spencer-Galvin in Girls under 14 Mixed OC2 and the Under 16 Mixed OC2 with Teo Otimi Patara and Talisha Buttsworth and;
- Tony Bond from the Inland Outriggers, based on the Murray River in Echuca who won the V1 500 Golden Masters.
WHAT: National Outrigger Sprint Titles, 2011
WHEN: February 4,5,6, 2011
WHERE: Coomera Lake Regatta Waters, Oxenford, Gold Coast (UBD Ref Map 6 R13)
HOW TO GET THERE: Heading South - Take Exit 57 onto overpass heading inland. Turn right at the second set of lights onto Old Pacific Highway. Continue along this road heading north and take the first street on the left - Watersport Lane. Heading North - Take Exit 57 onto the Old Pacific Highway. Continue along this road north and take the first bstreet on the left - Watersport Lane.
RACE PROGRAM: Day Two (Saturday): All races in straight 500m format; Day 3 (Sunday). All OC6 races in turn format (on 250m marker); V12 is 500m straight.
PHOTOGRAPHS: If you are requiring photo's for your media organisation from the competition please contact Kim Hamilton from Hanson Media Group. Harvie Allison Harvpix.com will be shooting at the event
AOCRA National Outrigger Sprint Championships: Gold Coast: Day 1:
Men: V1: 250m: Under 12: Tyler McGrath (Mooloolaba, QLD) 1:20.0 Kyle Shepherd (Mooloolaba) 1:21.8 Oliver Massey (Mooloolaba) 1:23.1
Under 14: Tyrone Davis (Canoe Point, QLD) 1:12.8 Mathew Wickham (Mooloolaba) 1:17.5 Mitchell Hurst (Canoe Point) 1:18.5
V1:500m: Under 16: Te Otimi Patara (Fraser Coast, QLD) Mitchell Thomas (Brisbane) 2:28.6 Ryan Ferderiks (Brisbane) 2:47.6
V1:500m: Under 19: Nicholas Wendt (Mooloolaba) 2:17.3 Mitchell Olds (Canoe Point) Kurtis Reeder (Mooloolaba) 2:21.9
V1:500m: Open: Mitchell Olds (Canoe Point) 2:19.2 Erimariki Onorid (Brisbane) 2:43.9 OC2: 500m: Jonathon Bloxom Harley Howearth (Brisbane) 2:09.8 Mitchell Olds Grant Olds (Canoe Point) 2:14.3 Erimariki Onorio Chad Raines (Brisbane) 2:16.8
Masters:
65+: OC2: 500m: Bob Edmonds John Hansen (Tweed Coast) 2:26.7 Kerry Brace Jim Campbell (Mooloolaba) 2:37.5 Mike Wilson Peter McKenzie (Fraser Coast) 2:38.3
55-64: OC2: 500m:Tony Bond (Inland, NSW)
50-54: V1: 500m:Danny Sheard (Mooloolaba) 2:29.5 Grant Olds (Canoe Point) 2:37.4
55-64: OC2: Danny Sheard Andrew Jones (Mooloolaba) 2:07.0 Jim McGuire Greig Nelson (Burleigh Point, QLD) 2:12.2 Warren Cuffe Mark Forbes (Mooloolaba) 2:20.9
45-54: OC2: 500m:Mark Forbes Ron Grabbe (Mooloolaba) 2:27.1 Timothy Rowlands Craig Voyce (Outrigger Australia) 2:32.3 Bob Edmonds John Hansen (Tweed Coast) 2:37.4
40-49: OC2: 500m:Daryl Wetere (Northcliffe, QLD) 2:20.0 Pehiriri Reweti (Northcliffe) 2:43.9 OC2:
35-44: OC2: 500m:Leigh Paine Mark Probert (Cradle Coast) 2:10.1 Jonothan Bloxom Harley Howerth (Brisbane) 2:11.4 Danny Sheard Andrew Jones (Mooloolaba) 2:12.0
Women: V1: Under 12: 250m: Ainsley Roberts (Mooloolaba) 1:33..1 Jazmyn Davis (Canoe Pt) 1:33.9 Erin Hurst (Canoe Point) 1:48.0
V1:Under 14: 250m: Siam O'Neil (Mooloolaba) 1:15.3 Jessica Spencer-Galvin (Canoe Point)1:18.9 Shania Paine (Cradle Coast, TAS) 1:24.1
V1:500m: Under 16: Tara McAleenan (Mooloolaba) 2:34.0 Maddy Cooper (Mooloolaba) 2:35.6 Rebecca Rusmussen (Mooloolaba) 2:40.0
V1:500m: Under 19: Tara McAleenan (Mooloolaba) 2:39.5 Jen Davis (Fraser Coast) 2:43.1 Rebecca Rasmussen (Mooloolaba)2:46.1
V1:500m: Open: Lisa Ratans (Panamuna, QLD) 2:31.0 Mei Mocea Tuicolo (Brisbane) 2:42.2 Jen Davis (Fraser Coast, QLD) 2:43.4 OC2: Kathryn East Mei Leisa Mocea Tuicolo (Brisbane) 2:27.0 Samantha Gordon Veronika Webber (Outrigger Australia, QLD) 2:32.1 Lorraine Martin Hannah Rienks (Panamuna) 2:35.0
Masters: 65+: OC2: Cozette Reynolds Rosette Galea (Northcliffe) 3:03.1 Wendy Bentley Wendy Smith (Fraser Coast) 3:10.0 Phoebe Glacken Jenny Hartich (Central Coast, NSW) 3:36.7
55-64: OC2: Jill Duffield Pamela Prescott (Brisbane) 2:43.1 Jenny Johnson Cozette Reynolds (Northcliffe) 2:52.0 Wendy Bentley Wendy Smith (Fraser Coast) 3:07.6
45-54: V1: Jennny Rasmussen (Mooloolaba) 2:34.6 Anne Williams (West Coast, WA) 2:40.7 OC2: Tracey Grimish Jennifer Morcom (Panamuna, QLD) 2:37.1 Jenny Rasmussen Suzanne Hamson (Mooloolaba) 2:37.1 Debbie Hitchcock Anne Williams (Westcoast, WA) 2:38.6
35-44: OC2: Sonia Edwards Alison Sewell (Fraser Coast) 2:39.1 Samantha Gordon Veronika Webber (Outrigger Australia) 2:41.7 Leanne Edwards Faye Skrandries (Brisbane) 2:43.6
Mixed: Masters: 65+: OC2: 500m: Lyn Andrews Bob Edmonds (Tweed Coast, NSW) 2:34.7 Peter Anderson Cozette Reynolds (Northcliffe) 2:35.7 Warwick Ford Pam Prescott (Brisbane) 2:36.4
55-64: OC2: Derek Mabbott Wendy Mabbott (Noosa), QLD) 2:37.9 Mike Wilson Wendy Smith (FraserCoast) 2:55.1 Peter Anderson Karen Currie (Burleigh Point) 2:58.5
45-54: OC2: Anne Williams Ian Williams (West Coast) 2:21.0 Ronona Cuffe Warren Cuffe (Mooloolaba) 2:24.6 Jim McGuire Michelle Thomas (Burleigh Point) 2:29.5
35-49: OC2: Daryl Wetere Melissa Wetere (Northcliffe) 2:21.1 Jenny Rasmussen Allan Rasmussen (Mooloolaba) 2:29.4 Axel Skrandies Faye Skrandies (Brisbane) 2:32.4
Open: OC2: Kathryn East Chad Raines (Brisbane) 2:22.6 Emily Probert Leigh Paine (Cradle Coast) 2:23.8 Maddison Cooper Rodney Cooper (BRD, QLD) 2:29.8
Under 19: OC2: 500m: Te Otimi Patara Jenaya Davis (Fraser Coast)2:27.4 Mitchell Olds Megan Hogan (Canoe Point) 2:28.9 Rebecca Rasmussen Nic Wendt (Mooloolaba) 2:30.0
Under 16: OC2: Te Otimi Patara Talisha Buttsworth (Canoe Point) 2:34.1 Michel Thomas Claire Withrington (Brisbane) 2:34.1 Rebecca Rasumssen Tara McAleenan (Mooloolaba 2:36.2
14 & Under: OC2: 250m: Tyrone Davis Jessica Spencer-Galvin (Canoe Point) 1:15.7 Mathew Wickham Clare Lynam (Mooloolaba) 1:16.9 Casey Hendry Siam O'Neill (Mooloolaba) 1:20.8
Under 12: OC2: 250m: Ainsley Roberts Eli Reeder (Mooloolaba) 1:39.0 Ash Gowland Oliver Massey (Mooloolaba) 1:39.0 Ash Gowland Oliver Massey (Mooloolaba) Jazmyn Davis Erin Hurst (Canoe Point) 1:47.2
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