"AUSSIES" NEXT FOR NZ's NEW IRONMAN CHAMP
March 14: Next stop "The Aussies" for newly crowned New Zealand Ironman champion Chris Moors who stunned his more illustrious rivals by winning the prestigious title at the NZ National championships in Mount Maunganui yesterday.
The 26-year-old Red Beach athlete, who is based in Queensland and races for "Aussies" host club Kurrawa, ended the five-year reign of Westshore's Daniel Moodie, who came home third behind clubmate Hamish Beattie.
Moodie, who competes for the Northcliffe Club on he Gold Coast, will also fly the Kiwi flag when 8000 competitiors converge on the Gold Coast for the 2011 DHL Aussies at Kurrawa (April 2-9).
There was also continued success for Kurrawa on the beach with Melissa Howard turning the tables on new recruit and Trans Tasman champion Chanel Hickman in the beach sprint while Paul Cracroft Wilson and Morgan Foster had to play second fiddle to a 16-year-old in the open men's beach sprint (see story below).
For Moors, it was a triumphant home-coming for the pocket-rocket, who finished ninth in the Coolangatta Gold last September, the best-ever finish by a Kiwi.
"It's been a long season but this is the one I really wanted to win and anything else was just a bonus," Moors said.
"I'm pretty stoked and for it to be the 100th year of surf lifesaving in New Zealand makes it even more special."
The Ironwoman race also had a brand new champion, with another Australian-based Kiwi, Mount Maunganui's Sunshine Coaster Aimee Berridge, holding off a strong charge from defending champion Nikki Cox.
"I just can't believe it - earlier this season, I actually quit the sport and I've only been back racing for the last six weeks," the 20-year-old Berridge said.
"I just needed to freshen up a bit and without that break and getting away and putting things in perspective, it wouldn't have happened today."
Moors and Berridge's efforts capped a dramatic three-day carnival, with an exhausting schedule on the final day after all water events were cancelled yesterday because of the Japanese tsunami scare.
There was still time for veteran Glenn Anderson to extend his remarkable record of surf race wins, outsprinting Midway's Mike Janes for his seventh victory in the discipline.
It gave Anderson 33 open titles over all disciplines in his illustrious career, after he earlier won the run-swim-run on Friday.
The Titahi Bay boat crew couldn't add to their three consecutive long-course titles, however, beaten in a thrilling finish by arch-rivals Piha.
It was especially sweet for two retiring members of the Piha crew, Craig Knox and Bruce O'Brien, who have been rowing the Piha boat for 20 and 19 years respectively.
"We haven't had that bloody trophy for decades," Piha sweep Mark Bourneville said.
"Until today, that was the only medal those guys hadn't won and we managed to get it for them today. We're just delighted."
Piha also grabbed the short-course title, the under-21 Piha Pirates had a clean-sweep in their division, while two silvers and two bronze medals in other divisions gave them the top-club trophy.
Overall, a rampant Mount Maunganui easily defending the Alan Gardner Trophy, awarded to the top club, collecting 129 points to finish 46 points in front of Papamoa.
Mount's efforts were anchored by strong performances in the taplin relays and individual wins to the likes of Andrew Newton (men's board) and Lisa Carrington (women's ski).
Christchurch clubs also performed well, despite the championship being relocated away from their earthquake-ravaged city just two weeks ago.
Taylors Mistake took out the men's canoe race and double ski titles, with South Brighton finishing third in both those events.
SCHOOLBOY UPSETS KIWI PAUL IN BEACH SPRINT
Meanwhile Papamoa schoolboy Kodi Harman stunned his senior rivals by winning the open men's beach sprint.
The Mount College 16-year-old beat home some of the stars of the sport, including three-time winner Kurrawa's Gold Coast-based Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Fitzroy) and defending champion Morgan Foster, to become the youngest ever winner of the event.
An exhausted Harman struggled to back up from his efforts, fading to fourth in the under-19 final minutes later, but he couldn't contain his delight.
"I wouldn't trade this for anything - I didn't really target any particular race but it just happened the open final fell first on the programme," Harman said.
"I'm so stoked, even though I was only operated at about 80 percent in the under-19 final because I was so tired."
Kurrawa's Melissa Howard won the women's beach sprint crown, getting a measure of revenge on Kurrawa team mate, South Brighton's Chanel Hickman, who beat the current world champion in her specialist flags event on Friday.
The great streak of Malcolm MacDonald and his South Brighton's men's beach relay team came to an end, however, with Mairangi Bay's anchor runner Kevin Morrison just holding off a flying Morgan Foster.
MacDonald and Foster had won the last ten beach relay titles, while MacDonald's run stretched back even further, as he'd been with the Brighton team that won in 1999.
"We knew it was going to be a hard year to defend it and it had to come to an end one day but I'm just glad we pushed them all the way and didn't give it up easily," MacDonald said.
Mount Maunganui's women's team kept their consecutive record going, however, with Holly Moczydlowski, Chelsea Maples, Arna Wright and Tamsyn McGarva earning the club's nine title in as many years.
Former world champion Moczydlowski has been involved in all of those teams.
"We've been the team to beat for the last eight years but every year we turn up pretending we've never won it. We always have something to prove and it keeps us sharp," she said.
The day ended with a revival of the traditional march-past, unseen at a national championship since 1998, to help celebrate surf lifesaving's centenary.
Day 2 results:
Men:
Open: Beach sprint: Kodi Harman (Papamoa) 1, Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Fitzroy) 2, Jordan Hills (Papamoa) 3. Beach relay: Mairangi Bay (Andrew Jackson/Vaughan Roberts/Bjorn Battaerd/Kevin Morrison) 1, South Brighton (Moran Foster/Malcolm MacDonald/James Bishop/Ryan Quickenden) 2, Fitzroy (Shaun Burton/Scott Murfitt/Paul Cracroft-Wilson/Kent Fraser) 3.
Under 19: Beach sprint:. Toby Harris (Wainui) 1, Jordan Hills (Papamoa) 2, James Bishop (South Brighton) 3. Beach relay: Wainui (Pera Gibbs/Toby Harris/Oliver Puddick/Jamison Gibson-Park) 1, Papamoa (Kodi Harman/Mitchell Harris/Jordan Hills/Eremia Tapsell) 2, Ocean Beach Kiwi (Evgeniy Drkonos/Jonah Lowe/Jordon Meehan/Craig Roberts) 3.
Under 16: Beach sprint: Joshua Pickering-Ross (Red Beach) 1, Scott Murfitt (Fitzroy) 2, Evgeniy Drkonos (Ocean Beach Kiwi) 3. Beach relay: Ocean Beach Kiwi (Evgeniy Drkonos/Kauri Kudd/Jonah Lowe/Craig Roberts) 1, Waikanae (Corey Adams/Jake Egan/MaxNeustroski/Micaiah Torrence-Read) 2, Paekakariki (Sadwyn Brophy/Seth Forbes/Temuera Forbes/Joseph Mansell) 3.
Women:
Open: Beach sprint: Melissa Howard (Kurrawa, Australia) 1, Chanel Hickman (South Brighton) 2, Arna Wright (Mt Maunganui) 3, Tamsyn McGarva (Mt Maunganui) 4. Beach relay: Mt Maunganui (Tamsyn McGarva/Holly Moczydlowski/Arna Wright/Chelsea Maples) 1, Red Beach (Melissa Gracie/Nivana Johnson/Lauren Johnson/Naomi Young) 2, South Brighton (Sharne Quickenden/Georgia Dickson/Chanel Shaw/Justice Cross) 3.
Under 19: Beach sprint: Trudi Greig (Papamoa) 1, Kelly McDonnel (Kurrawa, Australia) 2, Karina Radley (Mt Maunganui) 3, Megan Blair (Paekakariki) 4. Beach relay: Ocean Beach Kiwi (Sarah Karika/Emily Mackie/Sophie Pert/Rebecca Shepherd) 1, Mt Maunganui) Shamay King/Rebekah Millar/Karina Radley/Jessica Lacy) 2, Papamoa (Trudi Greig/Briar Merrett/Caitlin Procter/Sacha Parker) 3.
Under 16: Beach sprint: Jessica Lacy (Mt Maunganui) 1, Lauren Bailey (Red Beach) 2, Georgia Dickson (South Brighton) 3. Beach relay: Ocean Beach Kiwi (Cassidy Delamere/Claire Reynolds/Sophia Rebecca Shepherd) 1, Red Beach (Lauren Bailey/Tyler Baldwin/Daly Tuilaepa/Reyes Kemp) 2, Mt Maunganui (Emily Campbell/Jessica Lacy/Alexandra Lawrence/Georgia Childs) 3.
DAY THREE RESULTS - click the link