IRON WILL KEEPS PIERCE AFLOAT FOR AUSSIES

SURF LIFE SAVING, April, 19 2013: Two-time Australian Ironman champion Pierce Leonard will be looking to turn back the clock when he lines up in tomorrow’s Ironman semi-finals at the 2013 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at North Kirra.

Leonard, the Australian champion in 2007 and 2009, was forced out of the sport with an on-going back injury, requiring cortisone injections in 2010.

It has been an up and down ride for the 26-year-old over the past two seasons and his appointment as the head coach at Southport has been a major turning point in his career.

“I’m doing things a lot smarter these days; I’ve certainly learnt a lot over the past couple of years and I am aiming to be back at full fitness, racing faster than ever by next year,” said Leonard.

“As a youngster I set my sights on winning the Australian Ironman title and I secured two at a relatively young age but I have a different perspective on life these days.

“I really want to be at full fitness for next year’s Kellogg’s Ironman Series and any results here will just be a bonus

“I have to admit there were some tough times but I’m getting back to full fitness and it’s great to be back racing at Aussies again.”

If Leonard (who saluted the judge in 2006 and 2009 with Northcliffe) can podium on Sunday, he will become the first Southport competitor since Mark Bennetts (third to Grant Kenny and Robert Nay at Moana Beach, SA in 1982) to medal in surf lifesaving’s blue ribband event.

He was very impressive in his quarter-final win over the swim, ski board format cruising to victory ahead of Josh Minogue (Mooloolaba) and Hayden Allum (Cronulla).

Allum won the “family feud” ahead of Wanda cousin Mitchell (sixth) and brother Christopher (Cronulla) seventh – all three Allums qualifying for tomorrow’s semi-finals.

In the other quarter finals:

Mooloolaba boys Kendrick Louis and Matt Bevilacqua (gold medallists in the open board relay) both greeted the judge;

While Northcliffe’s former Australian Under 19 champion Tanyn Lyndon showed he has fully recovered from a dislocated shoulder to win his quarter-final from Ali Day (Mooloolaba) and defending and five-time champion Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe) and four-time champion Ky Hurst.

All in all there are seven from Northcliffe: Eckstein, Lyndon, Jake Nicholson, Max Beattie, Lucas Allen (who was a member of the club’s winning Champion Patrol Team), Mitch Miller and Riley McGregor.

Five from Mooloolaba – Louis (whose brother Bart from Newport has also qualified), Bevilacqua, Day, Cameron Cole (gold in the board relay) and Josh Minogue;

Twenty of the 32 semi-finalists will represent Queensland clubs with 11 from NSW – including Terrigal pair Jack Moyes and Tim Schofield and Cudgen Headland pair Jarrad Cain and Nathan Gray (who combined with Scott McCartney to win bronze in the open men’s board relay), with the final place going to Trigg Island (WA’s) Brendan Sarson (a member of the club’s gold medal winning ski relay).

Meanwhile, today’s gold medallists in the two-kilometre beach runs saw a changing of the guard, with defending champions Steve Madden (Tugun) and Alison O’Toole (City of Perth) hanging up their vests.

Chester Edwards (Orewa, NZ) claimed the open men’s title and gold medal from Paul Wiederrsehn (Cudgen Headland) who also wins gold as the first Australian.

Silver medallist Ali Najem showed remarkable stamina to back up after also taking silver behind Helensburg-Stanwell Park’s boat rower Christopher Doran in the under 19s.

The other two winners in the men’s division were Oliver Hoare (North Cronulla) in the under 17s and Dylan Forster (Alexandra Headland) in the under 15s.

The women’s open gold – won by Alison O’Toole for the past eight years – went to Angela Leadbeatter (Swansea Belmont) with the under 19s going to Dee Why triathlete Emma Jeffcoat; the under 17s to Jessica Suriano (North Bondi) and the under 15s to Scarlett Fahey (Northcliffe).

At the end of the third day of open competition defending champions Northcliffe lead the pointscore on 144.5, from Manly (80), Mooloolaba (78), Maroochydore (70), Alexandra Headland (60), Noosa Heads (52), Wanda (47), North Cronulla (44), Newport (41) and Cronulla (28).

Open Men Ironman SEMI-FINALISTS (Sunday):

Kendrick Louis (Mooloolaba) Hugh Dougherty (Tugun) Jack Moyes (Terrigal) Corey Jones (Metropolitan Caloundra) Cameron Cole (Mooloolaba) Rhett Russell (Wanda) Nathan Gray (Cudgen Headland) Brendon Sarson (Trigg Island) Tanyn Lyndon (Northcliffe) Alastair Day (Mooloolaba) Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe) Ky Hurst (Kurrawa) Jake Nicholson (Northcliffe) Barton Louis (Newport) Max Beattie (Northcliffe) Lucas Allan (Northcliffe) Pierce Leonard (Southport) Joshua Minogue (Mooloolaba) Hayden Allum (Cronulla) Hayden White (Warilla Barrack Point) Chris Moors (Kurrawa) Mitchell Allum (Wanda) Christopher Allum (Cronulla) Jarrad Cain (Cudgen Headland) Matt Bevilacqua (Mooloolaba) Thomas Trembath (North Burleigh) Mitchell Miller (Northcliffe) Jackson Maynard (Currumbin) Dane Farrell (Elouera) Timothy Schofield (Terrigal) Riley McGregor (Northcliffe) Wade Krieger (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park)

Open Female Ironwoman SEMI-FINALISTS (Saturday):

Jean Harris (Manly) Tara Coleman (North Burleigh) Emma Dick (Mermaid Beach) Kirsty Higgison (Mooloolaba) Alyce Burnett (Maroochydore) Rachel Crerar (Manly) Maddison Prior (Warilla Barrack Point) Rachelle King (Terrigal) Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra) Amy Nurthen (Mooloolaba) Tenille Devine (North Burleigh) Alyce Bennett (North Burleigh) Elizabeth Pluimers (North Burleigh) Jordan White (Warilla Barrack Point) Katherine Conder (Elouera) Katie Graham (Northcliffe) Hayley Bateup (Mermaid Beach) Kelly-Ann Perkins (Mooloolaba) Jordan Mercer (Noosa Heads) Tahnee Fleming (Elouera) Candice Falzon (Manly) Joanna Baxter (Terrigal) Eliza Smith (Northcliffe) Alexandra Britton (Carlton Park) Courtney Hancock (Northcliffe) Brodie Moir (North Burleigh) Alyssa Bull (Alexandra Headland) Harriet Brown (Northcliffe) Miranda Davies (Currumbin) Hannah Minogue (Bulli) Alicia Bain (Northcliffe) Danielle Radford (Swansea Belmont).

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia by

Ian Hanson

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