Manly girls golden day in the sun at Youth Champs #AUSSIES100
Surf Life Saving Australia, April 12, 2015: THE future of powerhouse club Manly is in safe hands after Naomi Scott and Emily Doyle grabbed three gold medals each on day two of the 2015 Australian Surf Life Saving Youth Championships at North Kirra.
Scott and Doyle were the leading medal winners of the first ever youth carnival for under-14 and under-15 competitors, which was held to start the centenary Australian championships.
They got their club away to a winning start on Sunday, taking out the surf race finals, Scott in the under-15s and Doyle in the younger age group.
It matched the winning double act the pair produced at the recent NSW championships.
“The race was meant to be held yesterday so I had a nervous wait overnight,” Scott said.
“It was a really tough race and I just held on once I had the lead.”
Scott and Doyle teamed with Jade Garrett and Isabella Ward to give Manly victory in the surf teams final.
The golden run for Scott continued in the under-15 ironwoman final, while Doyle was successful with Grace Gurr in the board rescue.
Doyle also took bronze medals in the under-14 ironwoman and board race finals.
Long and lanky Ryan Carroll was among the most successful competitors of the carnival, winning two golds medals and a silver for NSW Mid North Coast club Tacking Point.
Standing about 190cm, the 15-year-old showed why he is one of the hottest properties in the sport as he took out the board race and rescue tube race finals. He was second in the under-15 ironman final.
Carroll and his family have moved to Kingscliff on the NSW Far North Coast to further his young career and he will link with one of the big Gold Coast clubs next season.
“We are still to decide which club I will be joining,” he said.
“To win two gold medals at the Australian championships is as good as it gets. I’m stoked.”
Meanwhile, hours spent body surfing after training with his coaches, ironman legend Darren Mercer and Clint Irwin paid dividends for Cooper Williams of Noosa Heads when he took out the under-15 ironman final, giving the club an Iron clad double with Electra Outram winning the under-14 ironwoman.
Williams was in fourth place before catching a wave that overwhelmed leader Matt Sperring (Warilla Barrack Point) and rode it to the beach to finish well ahead of his rivals.
“We have had so many ‘world championships’ body surfing sessions after training at Noosa and I guess that helped me today,” he said.
“It’s a dream come true and I just wanted to do my best in my last race in the under-15s.”
Sperring was probably the unluckiest competitor of the carnival and was left shaking his head after the ironman.
The strongly-built youngster led both the surf race and ironman finals to within sight of victory before being passed by rivals who caught timely waves.
Cooks Hill’s Ethan Coates marked himself as a rising star of the sport by taking out the under-14 ironman final ahead of Finn Flaherty (Avoca Beach) and Jonty Redwood (Sunshine Beach).
Coates has won all the big ironman races in his age group this season.
“It’s awesome, the best feeling in the world,” he said.
“I really hope I can continue in this sport. I love it because it’s so challenging.”
Kristie Edwards of Newport made it a golden double for the weekend when she won the under-15 flags final, following her beach sprint win on Saturday. She won the flags from Helena Schwerdt (Grange) and Jazmine Yew (Thirroul).
Lawson Christiansen (Caves Beach) won the boys’ under-15 flags, while Alex Rampoldi (North Cronulla) and Jack Musika (Coogee Beach, WA) were the under-14 flags gold medallists.
The 2015 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships continue tomorrow with Masters competition, while the Open events start on Wednesday.
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