Gisborne clubs in the medals at Oceans’ 24

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Day 1 of the Oceans’ 24 junior surf lifesaving national championships at Mount Maunganui yesterday produced  a gold, two silvers and a bronze medal to Gisborne competitors.

More than 50 11-14 year-olds from the Gisborne clubs are competing in the four day championships, which continue today.

The first of Gisborne’s medals came yesterday morning when Brooke Williams from the Riversun Wainui club took silver in the under-11 girls’ beach sprint final.

Bree Barclay, from Dawson Building Midway, was sixth in the same race.

Williams later won Gisborne’s first gold medal of the carnival — the u11 girls’ surf race — while sister Lyv was third.

The sisters joined forces with clubmate Xavier Booker and Midway’s Donovon Kupenga in a combined team to win the silver medal in the u11 beach relay.

Gisborne youngsters produced other fine finals efforts in the choppy, metre-plus surf conditions.

Wainui’s Owen Booker was sixth in the u13 boys’ surf race, Midway’s Sam Matthews was seventh in the same event while Waikanae’s Clarence Ryan was ninth.

Rori Fukushima-Hall, from Wainui, finished ninth in the u14 boys’ surf race in which Waikanae’s Bradley Douglas was eighth.

Waikanae’s Jade Hopper was ninth in the u13 girls’ surf race final.

Those were the only results available when The Gisborne Herald went to print last last night.