The Bellarine and Surf Coast surf lifesavers have returned from the open component of the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, better known as the Aussies, with one gold and two bronze medals.
Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club’s Campbell Asher won gold in the under 17 men’s shortboard surfing and together with teammates Harry Charlesworth, Hudson Pearce and Tomas Perez placed eighth in the finals of the under 17 men’s surf teams and under 17 men’s board relay.
Patrick Kenny, Julia Phillips, Cooper Stanley and Kate Walker of Anglesea SLSC took bronze in the open mixed beach relay, and Kenny backed this up with a third in the under 17 men’s individual beach sprint.
Phillips placed fourth in the open women’s beach sprint final, Stanley was eighth in the under 19 men’s beach sprint, Phillips and Walker, along with Stephanie Larkin and Isabella Robinson placed seventh in the open women’s beach relay and fellow Anglesea beach competitor Sam Johnson was sixth in the under 17 men’s beach flags and eighth in the under 17 men’s beach sprint.
Jan Juc SLSC’s under 23 women’s crew the Jucaroos – Hannah Branson, Teagan Blythe, Mia Hunter, Brett Thompson and Kate Thompson qualified for the surf boats final, finishing sixth.
Ocean Grove’s Niamh Partridge finished 10th in the under 17 women’s 2k run at her first Aussies appearance, Torquay’s Harris Henderson was 17th in the under 17 men’s 2km run and fellow Torquay competitor Jemima Asher qualified for the hotly contested under 19 women’s surf race, finishing 24th.
