Mount Maunganui defends pool title

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service once again dominated the Eastern Region Pool Championships, defending their position for another year as top club overall.

The region's first surf sport event for the season was held over the weekend at Waterworld in Te Rapa, Hamilton and saw just over 200 athletes taking part.

Individual and team points were accumulated across the events for the purpose of awarding top club honours.

This year, Masters points also counted towards the overall top clubs points which saw a marked increase in the number of entries with 30 Masters taking part.

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service finished on top with 305 points, well clear of Papamoa on 228 with Whakatane in third on 89. Rounding out the top five was Omanu (50) and Waihi Beach (45)

Surf Life Saving New Zealand Eastern Region Sport Manager Mark Inglis says it was a fantastic start to the new season with some outstanding performances by the athletes taking part.

Of special mention were seven athletes who placed first in every individual event in their age group. They were Papamoa's Ben Johnston and Ariana Moffatt in the open Men and Women's divisions, Astaria Te Aukura (Mairangi Bay) in the Under 16 women, Tarquin Magner (Mount Maunganui) in the Under 14 Men's, Marley Orr (Whakatane) in the Under 13 Men's and Christiaan Maarhuis (Waihi Beach) in the 40-49 Masters Men and Wayne Campbell (Mount Maunganui) in the 50-59 Masters Men.

"This is an impressive result and it will put them in a great position heading into the New Zealand Pool Championships which will take place in Auckland next month," he says.

Click here to view the photos.

Club points

1 Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service 305. 50
2 Papamoa SLSC 228
3 Whakatane SLSC 89
4 Omanu SLSC 67. 50
5 Waihi Beach Lifeguard Service 45
6 Red Beach SLSC  37
7 Orewa SLSC 34
8 Mairangi Bay SLSC 33
9 Whangamata SLSC 18
10 Piha SLSC 10
10 East End SLSC 10
12 Whiritoa Lifeguard Service 3

Age group champions

Open Male
1st JOHNSTON, Ben- Papamoa SLSC
2nd HART, Daniel- Papamoa SLSC
3rd BASSETT-FOSS, Bertie- Papamoa SLSC

Open Female
1st MOFFATT, Ariana- Papamoa SLSC
2nd HAYDEN, Melanie- Papamoa SLSC

Under 19 Male
1st O'CONNOR, Lochlainn- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
2nd STINSON, Callum- Orewa SLSC
3rd DEMPSTER, Declan- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service

Under 19 Female
1st BRADLEY, Tessa- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
2nd KELLY, Claudia- East End SLSC
3rd ELISARA, Grace- Omanu SLSC

Under 16 Male
1st SHANAHAN, Daniel- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
2nd FULTON, Callum- Whangamata SLSC
3rd MILLINGTON, Max- Papamoa SLSC

Under 16 Female
1st TE AUKURA, Astaria- Mairangi Bay SLSC
2nd SU'A, Lyric Logotaeao- Orewa SLSC
3rd = PEARCE, Olive - Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
3rd = SUTHERLAND, Emma - Orewa SLSC
3rd = STINSON, Kendra- Orewa SLSC

Under 14 Boys
1st MAGNER, Tarquin- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
2nd IGGULDEN, Kel- Omanu SLSC
3rd = REEDER, Zachary- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
3rd = FITZJOHN, Louis- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service

Under 14 Girls
1st GARDINER, Mia- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
2nd ANCELL, Edie- Whangamata SLSC
3rd = RICHARDSON, Hannah- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
3rd = MCGIRR, Grace- Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services Inc
3rd = FUENTES, Nathalie- Red Beach SLSC

Under 13 Boys
1st ORR, Marley- Whakatane SLSC
2nd = HERRING, Tyrone- Whakatane SLSC
2nd = BARK RIKI, Mitchell- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service

Under 13 Girls
1st BARTLETT, Lucy- Omanu SLSC
2nd PEARCE, Lily- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
3rd WILSON, Poppy- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service

Under 12 Boys
1st CORNISH, Jasper- Red Beach SLSC
2nd = RICHARDSON, Thomas- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
2nd = JULIAN, Jamie- Whakatane SLSC

Under 12 Girls
1st MIDDLETON, Millie- Red Beach SLSC
2nd MCEWAN, Talitha- Papamoa SLSC
3rd FOWLER, Danielle- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service

Under 11 Boys
1st = SWANBERG, Braith- Omanu SLSC
1st = THOMPSON, Luke- Papamoa SLSC
2nd CHRISTIE, Xavier- Whakatane SLSC

Under 11 Girls
1st ROWLAND, Layla- Whakatane SLSC
2nd PILBROW, Jessica- Papamoa SLSC
3rd CHOTE, Trelise- Papamoa SLSC

30-39yrs - Masters Female
1st ROWLAND, Cathryn- Whakatane SLSC
2nd ASSINK, Lauren- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service

40-49yrs - Masters Male
1st MAARHUIS, Christiaan- Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services Inc
2nd = JULIAN, Craig- Whakatane SLSC
2nd = AKROYD, Greg- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service

40-49yrs - Masters Female
1st DAVOREN, Naomi- Papamoa SLSC
2nd BOUBEE, Sandra- Papamoa SLSC
3rd MANNING, Catriona- Whakatane SLSC

50-59yrs - Masters Male
1st CAMPBELL, Wayne- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
2nd BRADDING, Ross- Whangamata SLSC
3rd HUMPHERSON, Rex- Whakatane SLSC

50-59yrs - Masters Female
1st LAFFERTY, Fiona- Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services Inc
2nd BARRON, Jill- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service
3rd OSBORNE, Heather- Waihi Beach Lifeguard Services Inc

60+yrs - Masters Male
1st KING, Garry- Mt Maunganui Lifeguard Service

For more information, please contact:

Lisa Smith, Media & Communications Manager
Phone 0276 488 823 or email lisa.smith@surflifesaving.org.nz  or

Mark Inglis, Eastern Region Sport Manager
Phone 027 457 1021 or email mark.inglis@surflifesaving.org.nz