Key Points:
- Team NSW finished in second place overall
- Team NSW came home with 18 medals in total
- Eden Hasson scored the highest-scoring wave of the week with a 9.6
- For Team NSW event highlight photos CLICK HERE
Team NSW arrived home from North Stradbroke Island after a week of showdowns, triumphs, close calls and an unforgettable experience at the 2022 Australian Junior Surfing Titles.
The seven day event is held each year and brings together the top Junior surfers from around Australia to compete in individual, team and school divisions. Each competitor within Team NSW performed with the highest level of skill and as a team was collectively awarded second place.
Surfing NSW’s Junior High Performance Support Officer Ryan Haworth was on the ground assisting and coaching our competitors throughout the week and detailed his experience.
“I am so unbelievably proud of all our NSW athletes for their performances. They have been putting in the hard work all year, and absolutely ripped in the water.”
“I am honoured to have managed such an amazing and talented group of surfers. Every wave, turn, triumph and disappointment were worthwhile, and it was awesome to see each competitor progress and strengthen their skills. I also want to thank Head Coach Michael Crisp and Summer Simon for working tirelessly throughout the week and all the countless coaches who helped to prepare and build up our team in preparation for the National Junior Titles,” Ryan said.
Division breakdown:
Under 18 Males
Our Under 18 competitors certainly made their presence felt from the earliest rounds with three out of four finalists hailing from the Far North Coast of NSW. Harley Walters (Yamba) led the charge with his backhand moves to take out a narrow victory over fellow NSW surfer Dane Henry (Kingscliff) and Harry O’Brien (Lennox Head) in third.
Under 18 Females
A division that saw some incredible solo performances such as Keira Buckpitts (Culburra) who earned herself a nine-point ride in round three. The final heat displayed a State of Origin like battle between QLD and NSW competitors with Oceanna Roggers (Shell Cove) landing in second place and Imojen Enfield (Port Macquarie) in third.
The females also persevered through some of the toughest conditions of the week on Thursday at Deadmans battling through insane wind and rain.
Under 16 Males
Although the Under 16 Males had some tough results in round three with nail-biting losses in difficult conditions, Fred Carmody (Bondi), Kash Brown (Cronulla) and Fletcher Kelleher (Cabarita) advanced to the Quarter Finals. For the final heat, Kash Brown finished in second place and Fletcher Kelleher (Cabarita) in fourth.
Under 16 Females
The females provided a field day of strong performances with five out of the final eight athletes coming from NSW including Team NSW Wildcard Ava Arghyros (Cabarita) who made it to the semifinal. However, the unstoppable Milla Brown (Newport) led the charge and snatched up the win in the final with Ruby Trew (Narrabeen) coming in third.
Under 14 Males
There was no way any other State was going to rival Team NSW in this division. The final had every spectator on the edge of their seat with three NSW surfers overtaking each other in the 25-minute heat. With only seconds remaining, Ocean Lancaster (Newcastle) swung on the highest-scored wave of the heat to take the win. Ben Zanatta (Dee Why) followed suit in second place and Max Mcgillivray (Evans Head) finished in third.
Under 14 Females
The standard performances delivered across each state in this division were incredibly high. Lani Cairncross put on a show during the early rounds, however, bowed out during the quarter-finals in some challenging conditions. In the final heat, Lucy Darragh (Kiama) represented Team NSW and finished in fourth place.
Congratulations to the following athletes who have been recognised by other State Managers and team coaches and were selected to be part of the 2022 Honorary Australian School Team.
Xavier Bryce (Northern Beaches) – U19 Males
Winter Vincent (Queenscliff) – U19 Males
Oceanna Rogers (Shell Cove) – U19 Females
Sol Gruendling (Manly) – U16 Males
Ruby Trew (Narrabeen) – U16 Females
Over 30 competitors from Team NSW participated in the 2022 Junior High Performance Program.
The High Performance Program aims to provide the next generation of male and female athletes with the pathway and resources to reach their full potential as surfers and as people. NSW’s top athletes from the Under 18 to Under 12 divisions must qualify for their invitation to the program.
Once registered, competitors were invited to participate in training camps and online seminars with a focus on different yet equally important topics that include:
- Performance progression
- Strength and conditioning
- Talent pathway development
- Understanding judges score system
- Health and nutrition
- Mental health awareness
- Sports psychology resources and tools
Athletes were given access to incredible resources including professional athletes Sally Fitzgibbons, Jackson Backer, Dylan Moffat,Molly Picklum and Bede Durbridge, accredited nutritionists, professional sports psychologists and surf conditioning specific personal training.
The powerful combination of practical and theoretical training ensured all competitors were competition ready with increased confidence to trust their instinct and adapt when necessary.
Surfing NSW is already working behind the scenes to create a High Performance Program that is bigger and better than ever for our 2023 athletes. Stay tuned across our socials and website for announcements
