MOOLOOLABA YOUNG GUNS OFF TO FAST START

SURF LIFE SAVING, April, 18 2013: Mooloolaba’s young surf stars threw down the challenge to perennial powerhouse Northcliffe in an exciting first day of finals at North Kirra.

Northcliffe has won the carnival pointscore eight times in a row but Mooloolaba showed the fight for this year’s crown will not be one-sided.

The Michael King coached Sunshine Coast club started its carnival brilliantly with four gold medals in an hour of power – collecting the open men’s and women’s board relays, as well as the under-19 women’s board relay and the under-19 ski relay.

The open men’s team of Matt Bevilacqua, Cam Cole and Kendrick Louis was too slick for Northcliffe’s B team.

It was another B team causing an upset in the open women’s board relay final where Mooloolaba’s Ella Brown, Maddy Dunn and Kirsty Higgison combined to out-race higher-rated rivals and claim gold ahead of North Burleigh and Northcliffe.

Higgison transferred from NSW club Warilla-Barrack Point earlier this season and the trio paddled together for the first time at the Queensland state championships where they gained fifth place.

The girls were absolutely thrilled to gain the win by defeating their own club's A Team and more senior opponents in North Burleigh (2nd), Northcliffe (3rd).
In the under-19 women’s board relay Dunn won her second gold with, Bronte Hartland and Teisha Jenkins ahead of Noosa Heads and Currumbin.

Mooloolaba’s run of success continued in the under-19 men’s ski relay with William Bain, Joel Bevilacqua and Ryan Paroz winning from Newport and Warilla Barrack Point – giving Tasmanian-born Bevilacqua boys double gold.

In a big day for Sunshine Coast clubs, Jett Kenny, son of ironman great Grant Kenny and ex-Australian swimmer Lisa Curry, celebrated his first Australian championships gold medal with a sprint finish win for Noosa Heads in the under-19 board relay team.

In what was a tight race throughout, Kenny built on the work of teammates James Porter and Rhys Burrows to get Noosa into a narrow lead as he reached the beach and then raced away from second-placed Newport and third-placed Wanda.

And in keeping with the Olympic connection was Kirsty Higgison’s gold in the board relay for Mooloolaba. Her mother Karen Phillips was a team mate of Curry and Kenny’s at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where she won silver in the 200m butterfly.

In the under-17 surf teams finals, the boys’ gold medal was won by Newport’s David Euers, Jayke Rees, Lachlan Reid and Oliver Signorini, while the girls’ title went to Northcliffe’s team of talented under-15s Sally Allen, Alyssa Koenen, Greta Petersen and Jess Unicomb.

Wanda claimed gold in the under-19 Taplin relay, with Danielle McMahon, Elyssa Pierce and Taylar Puskaric finishing ahead of City of Perth and Avoca Beach.

Board riding results were highlighted by a golden double for the Vincent family of Coolum Beach, with Jake Vincent winning the open men’s division and finishing second in the under-19s, while Jaleesa Vincent placed second in the open women’s and won the under-15s.

Cudgen Headland’s Codie Klein won both the open and under-19 women’s board riding.

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia by

Ian Hanson

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