Midway aiming high at the Oceans 20 junior surf lifesaving champs

ON THEIR WAY: Under-13 board race competitors get under way at the Gisborne-Tairawhiti junior championships. Many of these competitors will compete at Oceans 20 this week. Pictures by Paul Rickard

Midway head into the Oceans 20 junior surf lifesaving championships at Mount Maunganui over the next four days with high hopes for individual and teams success and a near-top ranking.

The club performed brilliantly at the recent eastern regional junior championships at Ohope, where they finished third overall.

“We will have a team of 28 over there for Oceans 20,” Dawson Building Midway sport co-ordinator Jared Phelps said.

“The forecast surf conditions of up to a metre and a half from tomorrow to Saturday should suit our kids well.

“We did really well in Ohope and had good numbers, so we had plenty of teams.

“We are targeting a top-five result at Oceans 20.”

He said their under-14 boys had trained hard all season and should do well.

“One of our star under-14 girls, Sophie Petro, might be out with injury, which is unfortunate.

“In the lower age groups we have plenty of first-timers — it will be their first trip away — and in there we have some strong contenders who have shown a lot of potential.”

Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae team manager Michelle Mitchell said they would have about a dozen youngsters in the competition, which starts tomorrow.

“Our chances for success would include our beach competitors — the likes of Rubi Hart and Jerome Tamatea in the sprints and flags.

“On the water, Chloe Kapene should be a standout for us again.

“Chloe has been so consistent over the past couple of seasons in board, swim and beach events.”

She will compete in the u13 division.

Riversun Wainui will have nine athletes involved.

“We're really looking forward to it,” club head coach Dion Williams said.

“In true Wainui style, we cannot wait to get into the swell that's expected.”

Williams reckons the u14 girls' board relay team of Ella Arthur, Eva Klavs and Jay Ryan could do well.

The championships have attracted 823 competitors from 46 clubs across the country, and one club from Australia.

Over the four days, 440 girls and 383 boys will race in age brackets from u11 to u14.

Their events include the beach sprints and flags, run-swim-run, surf race, diamond race (swim-board-run), board race and team events like the beach and board relays, Grand Cameron relay (six-person run-swim-board event) and tube and board rescue events.