Papamoa blitz opponents

They may have finally dispelled the tag of dry-land specialists but Papamoa's fleet-footed brigade was still at the heart of a mighty win for the club at the weekend.
The same club that kindled world beach sprint champion Holly Moczydlowski's talents unearthed a few more speedsters, as Papamoa demolished the field to win the Ocean Athletes national under-14 championships in Mount Maunganui.
The Bay of Plenty club powered away on the final day yesterday, winning the title for the first time in seven attempts and by a record margin, 37 points ahead of close rivals and championship hosts Mount Maunganui, who finished on 59 points.
And leading the charge were the ``Speed Demons'', led by 13-year-old Jordan Hills, who took the beach sprint and flags double, close mates Hayden Clavis and Brad Nickel and 13-year-old female sprint champion Briar Merrett.
Hills beat off a strong challenge from New Plymouth Old Boys' David Bryan in both the flags and the sprint, while his Mount College schoolmates Nickel and Clavis were fourth and fifth and third and fifth in the flags and sprint respectively.
Another Papamoa sprinter, 11-year-old Caitlin Proctor, won her beach flags division while Merrett tied with Mount's Karina Radley in the sprint after Radley had backed up from a win in the 12-year girls division.
But unlike previous years, Papamoa was able to back things up in the water _ the club incredibly scored a clean sweep of all three places in the 10/11-year male board relay, with their female team winning the same event.
Club members Daniel Kayes and Natalie Peat won their run-swim-run events in the 11-year age-group to continue the dominance.
When Papamoa coach Kurt Wilson arrived at the club last year he was determined to show the younger athletes and parents that surf lifesaving was more than just ``sand athletics''.
"There have always been heaps of kids at Papamoa but they've never all had the opportunity to do all events," Wilson said.
"One of the first things that happened when I got here was that we bought 20 new boards and all the groups got access to them."
Now team manager Paul Kayes now wants to see Papamoa's junior dominance transferred into the senior ranks.
"We're starting to see the results of their commitment to the Ocean Athletes level over the last few years in the older age-groups _ we should do pretty well in the under-16s at the nationals this year as well."
"You've got to develop from underneath otherwise it's just not sustainable."
Mount's second was also noteworthy, with Jessica Miller marking herself as a future star, winning the 10-years diamond race, run-swim-run and surf race, and finishing fourth in the board race.