Medals Galore At Aussie Titles

By Duncan Horscroft on April 14, 2011 in Sport

In what set out to be a record-breaking attempt, Bondi Surf Club’s Kylie Miller said she let the side down in the quest for their fifth win in a row in the women’s 5-Person R&R at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Kurrawa last weekend.

“I got the worst alley ever and got caned,” Kylie, the Bondi team’s top swimmer, said after Bondi finished second behind Victoria’s Point Leo.

“We had put in some great results in the lead-up to the final and were really confident. But I got stuck on a sandbank on my way back in and that cost us. I feel so responsible.”

Despite the second-placing it was a top effort all around and along with Kylie, fellow team members Jann Ashley, Shea De Lorenzo, Jennifer McMillan and Megan Reid did their club proud.

Bondi’s Tube Rescue team (Madeline Blomberg, Liliana Guiscardo, Andrea Miller and Luane Rowe)  starred for the club with a gold medal, their mixed 5-Person R&R team won silver and the men’s open team won bronze.

In the Masters division, gold went to Dori Miller in the women’s 44-years Surf and Rescue Tube competitions, L Hill won the women’s 65-plus Surf Race and Tube event, while the ageless Cyril Baldock won silver in the 65-plus surf event and combined with Stephen De Lorenzo and Gary Emmerton for another silver medal in the 65-plus Surf Team.

Calvin Brodie and Robert Harvey combined for a silver in the 35-39 years Double Ski event.

Other Eastern Beaches clubs to grace the podium included North Bondi with wins to the Mermaids and The Originals in March Past competition, a win to J Cahill in the 65-plus Single Ski, and J Spencer finished third in 30-34 years Flags .

Clovelly were strong on the sand with John McNamee finishing second in the 65-plus Beach Sprint in front of  South Maroubra’s M Murphy, while Murphy reversed the order in the Flags finishing second ahead of McNamee.

South Maroubra also did well in the 35-39yrs division with J Robinson scoring bronze in the women’s masters Surf event and a silver in the Rescue Tube, while F Borg was runner-up in the women’s 35-39 Surf Board competition.

Coogee’s efforts were rewarded with a third to P Petit in 50-54 2km Run, P Jefferson was second in the 30-39 Champion Lifesaver, while G Gately won the 45-49 Rescue Tube and was second in Surf contest. A Shubitz won bronze in the 40-plus Champion Lifesaver.

And as hard as it is to massage the ego any further of the master of self-promotion – Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll – he did come away with best medal tally of those in the east.

A gold medal in the Open Malibu as well as the Masters Short Board and 2km Run has given him some bragging rights, and he was also part of the silver medal-winning Masters Surf Board Relay along with Andrew Bargenda and Greg ‘Teddy’ Clifford.

Clifford also put in a top showing to finish third in the 50-54 Masters Iron Man and Bargenda finished third in the 45-49 Surf Board. Matt Faddy won a bronze for his effort in the 2km Run in his age group.

And flying the flag for the girls was the Bronte club’s marketing manager, Colleen O’Neil, who won a bronze the 55-59 division of the women’s Surf Swim.

Apologies if anyone’s name was left out but it was hard work wading through the results list as they are no longer sectionalised into individual clubs.