Lyall Bay ride wave of success as Papamoa struggle

They're renowned as the best on the beach but Papamoa's tag of sand specialists was wavering at the Ocean Athlete under-14 national surf lifesaving championships yesterday.
For the first time in a long time, Papamoa failed to win a medal in the mixed beach relays at Mount Maunganui's Main Beach in the annual carnival, after picking up five placings last year.
It's left the three-time defending champions fourth overall on 11 points after two days, five behind leaders Lyall Bay and sitting adrift of local rivals Mount Maunganui and Omanu.
But Papamoa won the only local gold yesterday when Ben Johnston and Daniel Hart combined to win the under-14 board rescue title and 14-year-old Hart knows there are a lot of events to come this weekend if they're to retain their title.
"We want to lead from the front and start strong," Hart said. "We're missing some stars from last year but it's up to the rest of us to step up."
The Mount College students held off Omanu's Ben Cochrane and Perry Farrell in the beautiful 1m surf, with Waikanae pair Harry Dods and Patrick Wall third.
 The 13-year-old Johnston from Mount College won gold, silver and bronze last year, earning the under-13 board race crown when he outsprinted his club and schoolmate Hart up the beach.
Omanu's highlights came in the mixed relays, picking up silvers in the under-12 and under-13 divisions and a bronze in the under-14 race. Mount Maunganui grabbed a second in the under-11 relay, while Jess Miller picked up a bronze with Alex Lawrence in the under-14 girls board rescue after they fell off a wave challenging for the lead.
Lyall Bay maintained their lead in the overall standings, helped by Karly Maxwell and Gracen Luka's board rescue win.
The Wellington club sit on 16 points, with Mount on 13 and Omanu on 12.
Two other Bay of Plenty clubs grabbed notable golds, however, with Whakatane's under-11 beach relay team of Tiaan Brownless, Ngahuia Muru, Brady Oxenham and Ngatokorua Eruera heading home the Mount.
Whangamata's under-13 relay team of Grace Gill, Maddie Kidd, Jack Snodgrass and Taine Sweeney also took out their final, with Gill, Sweeney and Kidd backing up from their under-12 win last year.
Results:
Board rescue:
Under-14 boys: Papamoa (Ben Johnston, Daniel Hart) 1, Omanu Beach (Ben Cochrane, Perry Farrell) 2, Waikanae (Harry Dods, Patrick Wall) 3.
Under-14 girls: Lyall Bay (Karly Maxwell, Gracen Luka) 1, Orewa (Tori Collett-Johnson, Michayla Johnston) 2, Mt Maunganui (Jessica Miller, Alex Lawrence) 3.
Mixed beach relay:
Under-11: Whakatane (Tiaan Brownless, Ngahuia Muru, Brady Oxenham, Ngatokorua Eruera) 1, Mt Maunganui (Emily Johnston, Matthew Kelliher, Hamish Miller, Hannah Treanor) 2, Midway (Reeftahn Brown-Terekia, Fergus Burke, Devon Egan, Steffi Cameron) 3.
Under-12: Red Beach A (Lewis Gjaltema, Ella Martin, Sinead Payne, Izaak Scheib) 1, Omanu Beach (Jessica Gadsbey, Fergus Kirk, Connor Probert, Petra Ririnui) 2, Red Beach B (Grayson Barnes, Jacinta Borer, Joshua Smith, Jade Tuilaepa) 3.
Under-13: Whangamata (Grace Gill, Maddie Kidd, Jack Snodgrass, Taine Sweeney) 1, Omanu Beach (Liam Hesp, Isabella Kirk, Petra Ririnui, Denton McCarty) 2, Red Beach (Jessica Cornish, Jordan Downey, Jake Hurley, Georgia Cox) 3.
Under-14: Midway (Olivia Scott, Georgia Burke, Christy Stuart, Noel Te Rangi) 1, Fitzroy (Amelia Riddick, James Toss, Maija Mcsweeney-Novak, Scott Murfitt) 2, Omanu Beach (Ben Cochrane, Thomas Probert, Hannah Scown, Jessica Lacy) 3.
Points: Lyall Bay 16, Mt Maunganui 13, Omanu 12, Red Beach 11, Papamoa 11, Whakatane 7, Orewa 6, Midway 6, Waikanae 5, Whangamata 5, Piha 3, Fitzroy 3, Otaki 3, Wainui 2, Worser Bay 1, South Brighton 1.