Gold spread for surf club juniors

New Zealand's vast pool of junior surf lifesaving talent was on display on the first day of the Oceans 14 New Zealand under-14 championships in Mount Maunganui today.

Medals were decided in 16 events, with 13 golds going to different clubs, including every one of the eight beach flags finals.

Papamoa and Orewa were the only multiple winners, with Papamoa's Jack Hitchfield (under-11) and George Mano (under-13) grabbing run-swim-run victories, while Orewa's Xander Cuff (under-12 boys beach flags), Lucy Makaea (under-13 run-swim-run) and Grace Kaihau (under-14 run-swim-run) also triumphed.

It left defending champions Papamoa at the top of the standings after the abbreviated first day, which started with a minute's silence for 11-year-old Omanu club member Harrison Mundy, who succumbed to cancer earlier in the week.

Papamoa start day two on 13 points, with Orera on 11 and Omanu on nine.

Omanu's Ella Pollock had a memorable day, winning the under-13 beach flags a year after breaking her arm in the same event.  She then backed up later in the day and proved her all-round abilities, finishing third in the run-swim-run final.

Her efforts were matched by Mairangi Bay's Astaria Te Aukura, who repeated the flags gold/run-swim-run bronze in the under-11 girls agegroup.

There was a decent geographical spread too, with South Island clubs picking up golds through under-11 beach flags champion Zach Goldsmith (Taylors Mistake) and under-12 run-swim-run winner Max Wolf (St Clair).

A sold 2m swell forced organisers to postpone the board race heats, with all the run-swim-run rounds held at the southern end of the Main Beach.

Tomorrow's forecast is similar, with nearby Pilot Bay an option if conditions are deemed unsafe for competitors.

Results

Beach flags 

U11 Boys. Zach Goldsmith (Taylors Mistake) 1, Kian Grey (Papamoa) 2, Angus Henare (Red Beach) 3.
U11 Girls. Astaria Te Aukura (Mairangi Bay) 1, Hannah Cotter (Westshore) 2, Lucia Cook (Omanu Beach) 3.
U12 Boys. Wesley Akeripa (Ocean Beach Kiwi) 1, Colby Brennan (Omanu Beach) 2, Thomas Friskney (Omanu Beach) 3.
U12 Girls. Saffi Vette (Wainui) 1, Hannah Matehaere (St Clair) 2, Anna Manning (Whakatane) 3.
13 Boys. Xander Cuff (Orewa) 1, Brad Austin (Spencer Park) 2, Levi Ata (Red Beach) 3.
U13 Girls. Ella Pollock (Omanu Beach) 1, Holly Skinner (Orewa) 2, Sophie Hildesley (Red Beach) 3.
U14 Boys. Ishmael Perkins Banse (Paekakariki) 1, Jonathan Thompson (Piha) 2, Rowan Gjaltema (Red Beach) 3.U14 Girls. Lauren Henry (Whakatane) 1, Maisie Lundon Moore (Fitzroy) 2, Alicia Wilson (Mt Maunganui) 3.

Run-swim-run 

U11 Boys. Jack Hitchfield (Papamoa) 1, Cooper Gibson (Papamoa) 2, Oliver Gordon (Whangamata) 3.
U11 Girls. Sophie Irving (Maranui) 1, Olivia Andrew (St Clair) 2, Astaria Te Aukura (Mairangi Bay) 3.
U12 Boys. Max Wolf (St Clair) 1, Sean Register (Maranui) 2, Max Millington (Papamoa) 3.
U12 Girls. Isabella Akroyd (Mt Maunganui) 1, Sasha Reid (Fitzroy) 2, Joy Mitchell (Omanu Beach) 3.
U13 Boys. George Mano (Papamoa) 1, Atakura Julian (Lyall Bay) 2, Lochlainn O'Connor (Waihi Beach) 3.
U13 Girls. Lucy Makaea (Orewa) 1, Bernadette Doyle (Mairangi Bay) 2, Ella Pollock (Omanu Beach) 3.
U14 Boys. Zac Reid (Fitzroy) 1, Mitch Cowdrey (Papamoa) 2, Conor Bradding (Whangamata) 3.
U14 Girls. Grace Kaihau (Orewa) 1, Ruby Adsett (Westshore) 2, Hana-Tia Ross (Westshore) 3.

Club points after day 1: Papamoa 13, Orewa 11, Omanu Beach 9, St Clair 7, Fitzroy 7, Mairangi Bay 6, Westshore 5, Maranui 5, Mt Maunganui 4, Red Beach 4, Whakatane 4, Wainui 3, Taylors Mistake 3, Paekakariki 3, Ocean Beach Kiwi 3, Lyall Bay 2, Spencer Park 2,  Piha 2, Whangamata 2, Waihi Beach 1.

Omanu's Ella Pollock (left) dives to beat Orewa's Holly Skinner in the under-13 beach flags at the Oceans 14 New Zealand under-14 surf lifesaving championships in Mount Maunganui.  Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services.

Competitors hit the water in the under-12 run-swim run at the Oceans 14 New Zealand under-14 surf lifesaving championships in Mount Maunganui. Photo by Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services.