QUEENSLANDERS DOMINATE KELLOGG'S NUTRI-GRAIN QUALIFYING
SYDNEY, November 29: Queenslanders have dominated the first two rounds of qualifying after day one of the 2009 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Iron Man Series at Wanda Beach today.
Former Wanda and Cronulla product Kristyl Smith (Northcliffe) returned home to show why she will be a major force in this year's Series after winning both the women's rounds while 20-year-olds Matt Poole (Mooloolaba) and Cory Hill (Northcliffe) shared the men's honours. Ian Hanson reports...
Smith, 25, dominated the first round "M-shaped" endurance course ahead of nib Coolangatta Gold winner Hayley Bateup (Kurrawa) and runner-up Courtney Hancock (Northcliffe) and relegated Hancock and Coolangatta Gold third-placegetter Alyce Bennett (Burleigh Heads-Mowbray Park) to second and third respectively in the traditional short course final in round two.
Smith, the 2005 Australian Ironwoman champion left to go overseas 18 months ago and has only return to training seriously four months ago.
"It's in your blood, it's your passion, you miss it, so I decided to have another crack," said the Sydney-born Northcliffe based Smith.
"With Kristy Harris retired and Elizabeth Pluimers suffering from a back injury it opens up the possibility to win a Series - I've finished second and third too many times.
"This will be my tenth series - I've finished second on three occasions and third once so to come back and win one is the goal.
"I was a nipper at Wanda when I was 13 and 14 but I never gave myself a chance of ever coming back here to race."
With tomorrow's third and final round to decide the 11 automatic women's qualifiers for next year's five-round $200,000 Series, Smith 
leads on 80 points from Hancock (77), Bateup (76), Maroochydore's Allira Richardson (69), Bennett (68), Northcliffe's pair Flora Manciet (68) and Bonnie Hancock (67), North Burleigh's Brodie Moir (67), Burleigh Heads-Mowbray Park's Chelsea McKenzie (66), Northcliffe's Kirsten Ulmer (60), Metropolitan Caloundra's Chloe Jones (59) and Kurrawa's Terri Sullivan locked on 59 points.
Metropolitan Caloundra's Commonwealth Games swimming silver medallist Rebecca Creedy and Northcliffe's Amanda Hey, both on 57, round out the leading14 contenders.
Already qualified for the 2009 women's Series are Pluimers, Alicia Marriott, Naomi Flood, Bianca Lee and Gemma Newbiggen.
The men's endurance final saw Poole, the 2007 Australian under 19 champion break through for a well deserved win after switching from Northcliffe to Mooloolaba under the coaching of Michael King in the off-season.
"Last season I was just turning up to make up the numbers, not thinking I could win a race," said Poole, who has made a further move north from Northcliffe to Mooloolaba on Sunshine Coast.
"I finished 17th in the last season's series and knew I had to turn things around."
A move to link up with leading surf sports coach, former Coolangatta Gold Ironman winner King and a 30cm growth spurt has proved to be a winning ingredient for the 195cm Poole.
"The move to Michael has turned my career around and I've got my eyes back on the prize again, believing I can mix it with the big boys.
"Michael told me he would provide me total commitment if I gave him 100 percent focus and it has certainly turned me around - I am confident about racing and not just being a number."
But it was a different story in the short course with another rising star, Griffith University Commerce student Cory Hill, breaking his drought to hold off Mooloolaba's Dylan Newbiggen and his Northcliffe training partner Luke Nisbet.
Hill, who played second fiddle to Burleigh Heads-Mowbray Park's Jacob Lollback in last season's under 19 competitions, is now well placed to achieve his second goal of the season.
"My aim was to finish in the top 10 in the Coolangatta Gold and I did that and I've now got my sights set on making the Series," said Hill.
"Having the opportunity to train alongside the likes of Shannon Eckstein makes all the difference."
There is a traffic jam at the top of the men's pointscore with Sunshine Coast trio Poole, Newbiggen and Corey Jones (Metropolitan Caloundra) sharing the lead with Andrew Mosel (Cottesloe, WA) on 73 points,.
Then follows Cronulla's Hayden Allum (72), Hill and Nisbet (63), North Burleigh's James Stewart (62) with Cronulla's Mark Simpson, Mooloolaba's Tim Peach and Tugun's Sam Hamilton all on 60.
Cronulla's Chris Allum and Collaroy's Kendrick Louis are on 58, Wollongong's Ben Squires (57), Swansea Belmont's Josh Blair (56), Lollback (53) and Mooloolaba's Jack Hansen (50) are all in with a shot of making the top 10.
Chris Allum missed the A final in round two and was relegated to the B final which he won and will have to ensure himself of a place in tomorrow's A final to have any chance of qualifying for the Series.
The men are chasing 10 places left after Zane Holmes, Shannon Eckstein, Hugh Dougherty, Wes Berg, Pierce Leonard and Nathan Smith all sealed automatic qualification last season.