NSW State Junior Surf Life Saving Championships Results

​South Maroubra Nippers sent our largest competitive touring team of 141 Nippers aged Under 9 to Under 14 to the NSW State Age & Youth Championships on the Sydney Northern Beaches to compete in junior surf sports over the three days of 24-26 February 2022.

Competitive surf and sand training for season 2021-2022 had a delayed start due to the outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in mid-2021, but our Nipper competitors threw themselves into training as soon as restrictions eased enough in October 2021 to enable group training, all in the hopes of representing South Maroubra SLSC at the pinnacle event of competitive junior surf lifesaving – the NSW State Age & Youth Championships.

South Maroubra Nippers competed in individual events including the surf swim, board, ironperson, beach sprint, flags, and 1km/2km run, as well as in team events including the surf swim team, board relay, board rescue, Cameron relay (swim/run/board/run), beach sprint relay, and Rescue and Resuscitation (R&R) events.

Over the first two days of competition our U9 to U12 competitors got to battle it out with the best of the best junior surf sports athletes in NSW in the water and on the sand, but unfortunately on Day 2 some of the U9 & U10 team events were cancelled due to worsening surf conditions. For our U13, U14, March Past Team, Competitor with a Disability, and our U14 Champion Lifesavers, their State Championships was cut short with many not even getting the opportunity to compete due to the intensely bad weather and a nasty outbreak of the gastro virus on Day 3 which lead to the premature cancellation of the carnival after only a few hours of competition. Despite multiple attempts to reschedule the NSW State Championships over the following two weeks, Mother Nature had other plans, leaving the water polluted at all planned competition beaches as well as at the back-up beaches, and leaving no sand on the beaches due to the extreme erosion which had occurred from the large swells. Unfortunately the difficult decision was then made to cancel all further events at the NSW State Championships in 2022 leaving our older Nippers bitterly disappointed.

In every competitive setting there will be highs and lows, and the NSW State Championships were no exception. There were amazing moments where our Nippers exceeded our coaches, their age managers, parents, and their own expectations, and there were times of disappointment. However, what stood out above and beyond the results was the wonderful team camaraderie despite the absolutely miserable weather of howling wind, and constant, and at times torrential, rain. The team spirit exuding from our young Nippers was phenomenal, and to see Nippers supporting each other in times of excitement and times of disappointment, made everyone who is a part of South Maroubra Nippers so extremely proud.

At the NSW State Championships competitors are awarded points for race placings 1st to 6th which contribute to the overall point score to award the NSW State Champion Junior Surf Club. I am very pleased to report that the South Maroubra Nippers team came a phenomenal 2nd place in the State, making this our best result ever! We were just 18 points shy of taking out 1st place in NSW. Our young athletes brought home 7 gold medals, 6 silver medals, 9 bronze medals, and 17 placings were just agonisingly short of the medals in 4th, 5th and 6th place (which is a massive result considering there were some age groups and events with over 200 competitors). Thirty one nippers who had the oppportunity to compete came home with a NSW State Championship medal. Nippers who placed 1st to 6th are listed below, and these young champion athletes should be congratulated and celebrated. There were so many other South Maroubra Nippers who were hot medal chances, but unfortunately they didn’t get the opportunity to compete this year.

As a volunteer organisation, we relied greatly on a very large team of 50 dedicated parents to enable our Nippers to compete at the NSW State Championships. Our sincerest appreciation and thanks go to the following volunteers:

Leadership and Support – Peter Kondilios (Director of Youth), his trusty right-hand Mary Kondilios, and the South Maroubra SLSC Board of Management

Coaches (who have invested a massive amount of time and energy developing our Nippers competitive skills and delivering training sessions across 7 days a week for the last 6 months – and remember they are all volunteers!):
Water – Marty Kiernan, Michael Renford, Steve Perry, Tony Jenkin, Damien Alexiou
Sand – Andy Newrick, Max Murphy, Drew Richardson, Jarrod Cullen
R&R – Corrine Henville
March Past – George Alexiou

Team Uniform – Andy Newrick, Peter Kondilios, Mary Kondilios

Social Media – Linda Perrin

Fundraising – Mary Kondilios, Chantal Hughes, Phillipa Stanley, Paul Ryan, U14 Nippers Leadership Team

Carnival Officials – Leone Doyle, Andrew McCabe, Edel Dickson, Bobbi Mayne, Mark Schofield, Ashleigh Philp, Emma Maley, Joshua Palmer, Kate Messiter, Samantha Saunders, Cindy Redmond, Marcelo Garay, Rebecca Hoo, Olena Stanilovskiy

Water Safety & IRB – Kirsten Newrick, Jennie Smith, Laurie Golsby, Iona Dyson, Darren Saunders, Dave Lowlett, Steve Perry, Trevor Buckett, Genevieve Andersen, Kellie Ellis, Stephanie Keenihan, Andrew Maxwell, Damien Alexiou

Age Managers – Jack Perrin, Reese Ghezzi, Emma Walsh-Perry, Fiona Nix, Phillipa Stanley, Tony Jenkin, Mary Kondilios, Georgie Israel, Damien Alexiou, Brian Madden, David Smith, Angela Maxwell, Pat Capaan, Luke Ellis, Noreen Madden, Corrine Henville, Peter Kondilios, Michael Renford, George Alexiou, Andy Newrick, Trevor Buckett

Tent & IRB transport and set-up – Andy Newrick & Garry Mashman

Plus the many parents who assisted with Nipper supervision, support, tent movements and pack away.

It has been an absolute pleasure to witness the effort from our Nipper’s throughout this season and at the NSW State Championships, and for that effort every competitor should be applauded.

Our U13 & U14’s season isn’t quite over yet as they still have the opportunity to represent South Maroubra SLSC at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast, QLD in April, and we wish those travelling north to compete at the ‘Aussies’ all the very best. Fingers crossed the weather improves!

Bring on season 2022/2023!

Renae McNamara
Competition Team Manager

NSW STATE AGE & YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS 2021/2022 – SOUTH MAROUBRA RESULTS

GOLD
U10 girls surf race – Mia
U10 girls board – Mia
U11 mixed beach relay – Jayden, Christian, Emily M, Katahra
U12 girls beach sprint – Marli
U12 boys beach sprint – Ryan
U12 boys beach relay – Ryan, Dominic, Tom, Rory
U12 mixed beach relay – Ryan, Marli, Estelle, Rory

SILVER
U10 boys beach relay – Max, Liam, Sean, Mitchell
U10 mixed beach relay – Max, Liam, Makayla, Capri
U11 girls beach relay – Emily R, Emily M, Katahra, Sienna
U11 mixed Cameron relay – Chelsea, Katahra, Ethan, Jayden
U12 boys beach sprint – Rory
U12 boys flags – Ryan

BRONZE
U10 girls beach sprint – Capri
U10 boys flags – Mitchell
U10/U11 2 person R&R – Nayomi & Emily
U11 boys beach sprint – Christian
U11 boys 1km beach run – Liam
U12 girls beach relay – Marli, Jazmine, Sammy, Estelle
U13 boys beach sprint – Christopher
U13 boys beach relay – Ryan, Dylan, Syd, Christopher
All Age beach relay – Rio (U9), Capri (U10), Jayden (U11), Marli (U12), Christopher (U13), Luke (U14), Lillie (U15)

4th PLACING
U9 girls beach relay – London, Arabella, Grace, Charlotte
U10 girls beach sprint – Makayla
U10 boys beach sprint – Max
U10 girls beach relay – Capri, Makayla, Leila, Mila
U11 boys beach sprint – Jayden
U11 boys surf team – Josh, Liam, Tobias, Ethan
U12 boys flags – Rory
U12 boys surf team – Owen LJ, Ryan, Jordan, Owen R, Uunai
U13 boys beach sprint – Dylan

5th PLACING
U9 girls board – Niamh
U10 boys beach relay – Rio, Jackson, Tennison, Rylan
U10/U11 2 person R&R – Saoirse & Mila

6th PLACING
U9 boys beach relay – Rio, Matthew, Winston, Julian
U10/U11 2 person R&R – Felix & Isis
U11 girls surf team – Emmeline, Amelia, Evie, Chelsea
U11 mixed beach relay – Hunter, Felix, Emily R, Sienna
U13/U14 2 person R&R – Juliette & Emily