SWAS ACCOLADES FOR LOCAL ATHLETES – March 1
SOUTH West Academy of Sport (SWAS) has recognised local athletes at its annual awards night held in Warrnambool last week.
Jordyn Brown (Clay Target Shooting) won the Southern Grampians Shire Strength and Conditioning award, while brother, Harry Brown (Clay target Shooting), was recognised for his winning the Commonwealth Trap
Carnival in the EM Junior Point Score and High Gun Champion.
Modern Pentathletes, Zoe Addinsall and Matilda Mason, were rewarded for their sustained success in the sport with Addinsall finishing first in the International Under-17 Female section of the New Zealand event.
Golfer, Molly O’Brien, was awarded the Carol Fox Future Leaders Award for her dedication to assisting and welcoming others during SWAS education sessions, strength and conditioning sessions and golf training sessions.
WORLD GAMES BOUND – March 4
SIBLINGS, Bruce Addinsall and Jenny Herrmann, will pair up on the fairways of Western Australia’s Wembley Golf Course for the World Transplant Games next month, hoping to come away with a victory.
The duo has a shared love of golf, and it was Herrmann who suggested they pair up to represent Australia in the World Transplant Games after each undergoing transplants in the last four years. Addinsall has had two kidney transplants since July 2019 after the first donor kidney was rejected by his body, while Herrmann has had a lung transplanted only 12 months ago.
BRUCE Addinsall and Jenny Herrmann will take to Wembley Golf Course as part of the World Transplant Games in Perth next month. Photo: LARA FITZPATRICK.
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MACARTHUR GRABS MIDWEEK PENNANT PREMIERSHIPS – March 4
THIS was where Macarthur and Portland took to the Memorial green for the premiership game.
In the home and away match-ups, each side had won a game and there were only three shots difference in total.
Portland had finished nine points above Macarthur on the ladder, but that counts for little in finals.
This game was quite different, this time Macarthur got into gear and Jean Schroeder’s team scored 21 to Maree Jennings 15.
Bev Bourke with her team ripped up 32 to Val Baker and team’s 10, leading to final scores of 53-25.
The division three decider was quite a bit closer than the above game.
Macarthur and Heywood played off and Macarthur finished the regular season seven points clear of Heywood on the ladder and split the two contests.
The margins were very wide but overall, only seven shots difference in totals.
Macarthur got the run of the green correct and although each side won a rink, Macarthur came out premiers, 35-29.
Enid Jenkins 22 held off Barb Moore eight, while Carole Dunn lost to Jan Hamblin, 13-21.
All in all, Macarthur had the most successful season with two midweek premierships. Well done to all clubs for the input into the season’s competition.
PUMA POWER – March 8
GRAMPIANS has won the first senior premiership of the 2022-23 season, after claiming the Hamilton and District Women’s Cricket Association A grade title at Melville Oval on Sunday.
The Pumas were emphatic in their play after winning the toss and electing to bat first on a wicket that had already had the B grade grand final played on it.
Grampians’ Olivia Read was named player of the match.
St Andrew’s entered the HDWCA B grade grand final at Melville Oval knowing Macarthur was vastly experienced at this time of the season, having won the A grade grand final last season.
Macarthur won the toss and chose to send St Andrew’s to the crease on the turf wicket and the decision paid dividends, as the first three batswomen all fell without scoring.
A disciplined bowling performance kept the Demons to 4-87, as Sarah Cassidy was named the player of the match.
ROSS’ OARSOME WIN – March 11
THE region has a new rowing star after Jemima Ross won a Rowing Victoria Schools Championship gold medal at Nagambie last weekend.
The three-day event saw the 14-year-old contest the single scull and quad event, with the individual event seeing her earn top honours in Female Under-15 Single Scull final in a time of 4:10.66, winning by more than 10 seconds.
Ross said it took a bit to handle the pre-race nerves, but was excited to claim her first state title.
LOCALS SET FOR STINT WITH REBELS – March 11
TWO locals are set to fly the Rebels flag after they were selected in Greater Western Victoria’s Coates Talent League squads for the 2023 season.
Jack Jennings has been included in the Under-18 squad, while Brodie Phillips has earnt selection in the Under-16 group.
Jennings was selected as a bottom age player and the 17-year-old said he was excited for what was to come during the year.
BRODIE Phillips, 15, and Jack Jennings, 17, have been selected in Greater Western Victoria Rebels squads for 2023. Photo: GLENN GUY.
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SWEENEY’S SWEET SUCCESS AT STATE TITLES – March 18
HOLLY Sweeney has continued her ascension through the junior athletic ranks, claiming a state title and runner-up at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium last weekend.
The 15-year-old claimed a gold medal in the 200m in a time of 26.43 seconds and ran second in the 100m in 12.83 seconds at the Little Aths Victoria State Track and Field Championships.
The Mooralla resident said she had no expectations going into the championships and was just hoping to increase her experience at big events.
GOLDEN PALACE – March 25
A SWAG of gold medals returned with Palace Martial Arts on the trip back to Hamilton, with the group having plenty of success at the Australian Taekwondo Victoria State Championships in Melbourne last weekend.
Returning with more than 10 gold medals between then, it was an impressive outing for the Hamilton dojang.
Taylor Crane, Will Sweeney, Grace Dohle, Aisha Hendriks, Kellie Mitchell, Hayley Wilson and Stephanie Farquharson all made the trek with each winning individual medals.
HIGH SCORE LEADS TO NATIONAL TITLE FOR CLARK – March 25
WARRAYURE’S Tom Clark is junior national champion in the double barrel after going the distance in Wagga Wagga at last week’s national championships.
The 17-year-old shot 50/50 and 109 straight in the shoot-off to earn the title, collecting his highest ever score along the way.
“There is a little bit of a collection going of sashes, I was definitely at my high at this shoot and I could have kept going,” he said.
FOUR GOLDS AND AN AUS RECORD FOR TAHLIA – March 25
HAMILTON export, Tahlia Clayton-Goodie has taken a big step in her cycling goal, collecting four gold medals and breaking an Australian record by seven seconds at the AusCycling Para Track Nationals in Brisbane last week.
The 36-year-old competed in the time trial, pursuit, scratch race and omnium in the C1 class, topping the podium in all four events.
Clayton-Goodie said she was happy with her performance, giving her plenty of confidence for the future.
BACK-TO-BACK – March 29
COLLEGE has defended its 2021-22 Hamilton and District Cricket Association A grade title, going back-to-back and claiming the 2022-23 Dundas Cup honours on Saturday at Monivae College.
The Eagles were in a strong position after the opening weekend and Grampians needed quick wickets to force a second innings chase on the third and final day of the season.
Hamish Bailey (four-not-out) and Lachie Watt (three-not-out) continued from day two with College starting the day on 2-37.
College’s Lachie Watt was named player of the match.
BROTHERS IN ARMS – April 1
GRAMPIANS Cricket Club is celebrating another P.F. Christie Medallist from within its ranks after Carl Joyce took home the biggest prize on offer at the Hamilton and District Cricket Association 39th Annual Christie Dinner on Wednesday night.
Joyce joins his brother, Heinrich, as the only pair of brothers to win the medal across the 45-year history of the award and is the seventh player from the Pumas to take the award home.
The 32-year-old allrounder had a major impact on the season for the Pumas, as he batted at number four this summer and either taking the new ball or as first change bowler, Joyce posted 269 runs at 44.83 per innings and took 17 wickets at 13.29 during the home and away rounds as he registered 15 votes to claim the medal by two votes from last season’s winner, Simon Close with Michael Brilley third on 11 votes.
FAIRWAYS WIDE OPEN FOR O’BRIEN – April 1
HAMILTON’S teenage golfing sensation, Molly O’Brien has once again stood tall when the pressure was applied as she took out the Western District Golf Association Open Ladies Championships 27-hole event at Terang Golf Club.
After only taking up the sport due to being unable to play her regular sports of basketball and netball during the COVID-19 lockdown, O’Brien has had a meteoric rise through the ranks as her game develops from strength to strength.
SINGAPORE SWING – April 5
HAMILTON boxer, Katie Riddle, is set for an international debut with two bouts scheduled for this weekend in Singapore.
The Mocka’s Boxing Club product will captain the Victorian team, while juggling back-to-back bouts on Saturday and Sunday.
Riddle said her preparation had been seamless and was excited to test herself against Singapore’s best boxers.
“I am not too nervous, the girls I am fighting are pretty experienced and I have got the mentality that I have nothing to lose,” she said.
SAINTSATIONAL – April 7
ST Mary’s has claimed the double, winning the Hamilton Basketball Association (HBA) Division 1 Women’s and Division 1 Men’s premierships on Tuesday night.
The Saints went into the Division 1 Women’s decider as raging favourites, having gone through the regular season undefeated, and while Sportscene Minders pushed the Saints right to the end, the result went as expected with St Mary’s claiming a 65-55 victory.
St Mary’s Black doubled up with a comprehensive performance to account for Barber Boys by 17 points in the Division 1 Men’s season decider.
BOUND FOR GLORY – April 12
A PAIR of Hamilton speedway drivers are set to take on the country’s best when Dehne Sparrow and Colby Hammond take to the track in Western Australia this weekend.
The duo have driven across the country for the Speedway Sedans Australia Production Sedans National Title at Ellenbrook, with the pair set to work together to improve their chances on the track.
Sparrow is a seasoned veteran of the sport but has recently swapped his Holden Torana for a 1995 VS Commodore, while Hammond also be in a VS Commodore for his national title debut.
BOSTON BOUND – April 15
TWO local marathon runners, Hamilton’s Carolyn Van Kalken and Cavendish’s Caroline MacDonald, will journey to the United States this week to compete in the famed Boston Marathon after securing their coveted places in the last 12 months with qualifying times that allow them to take a place on the start line.
Boston is one of the six major marathons around the world (Tokyo, London, Chicago, New York and Berlin being the others), that runners aspire to compete in, and MacDonald has already ticked London off her bucket list.
Runners who compete in the six majors are entitled to ‘stars’ which they earn one for every major they compete in with the goal to have the set of six.
PERKINS NUDGED OFF PODIUM IN AUSTRIA – April 15
WANNON export, Miriana Perkins, has impressed at her first world championship outing, finishing fourth at the FIS Aerial Junior World Championships in Obertauern, Austria.
Perkins has returned home after more than four months abroad, culminating in her fourth place finish late last month.
The 20-year-old said she had no expectations going into the event, and after a tough Teams performance, she bounced back to scrape into sixth place and qualify for the final.
MIRIANA Perkins finished fourth at the FIS Aerial Junior World Championships in Austria. Photo: LARA FITZPATRICK.
ZOE GRABS TITLE – April 29
LOCAL athlete, Zoe Addinsall, continues to take strides in her development, claiming the 2023 Australian Championships Modern Pentathlon Australia Under-21 title last weekend.
Addinsall opted to move up to the Under-21 section, despite only being 15, allowing her to complete the full event, with the riding element reduced for the lower age groups.
Addinsall dominated the event and would have finished third if she competed in the senior section, going third fastest in the swimming to claim the national title at Melbourne’s Caulfield Grammar.
If she had have entered seniors, she would have finished third, with the local going into the three-day event with a solid preparation.
