Shane Hurndell
Hawke's Bay's Baarspul sisters set a family first at the national surf lifesaving championships in Mount Maunganui during the weekend.
With Renee Baarspul winning the open and under-19 beach flag titles and her sister and Pacific clubmate Monique winning the under-16 title their family holds every national female beach-flags title
up for grabs. Because a week earlier their younger sister Simone captured the 12 years title at the New Zealand Ocean Athlete Championships also held at Mount Maunganui.
"This is a tremendous feat for the family. And with their parents, Debbie and Bruce, doing so much for the Pacific club it's a feat well deserved," Surf Life Saving Hawke's Bay director of sport Russell Collins said today.
Westshore did the best of the four Bay clubs at the nationals finishing eighth in the battle for the Alan Gardner (top club) trophy which Gisborne's Midway club retained. As expected New Zealand representative Nikki Cox and New Zealand Development squad member Dan Moodie were key figures in Westshore's success - in individual and team events.
Cox won the open women's ski and board titles and led all the way in the open women's ironman before being pipped in the run up the beach to the finish line. Moodie was also pipped in the run to the finish line as he finished second in the under-19 boys ironman.
He took out the under-19 boys run-swim-run and board race titles. Westshore's under-16 boys taplin team of Hamish Beattie, Nick Moodie and Mark Knott did well to win gold as Beattie and Nick Moodie were competing at their first senior nationals.
Another of Westshore's first timers, Avril Turvey, collected bronze in the under-16 girls surf race and her clubmate Aaron Osborne collected bronze in the under-19 boys ski.
Cox and Dan Moodie were selected in the Surf Life Saving New Zealand Rescue 2006 squad which gives them the opportunity to compete at next year's world championships. Dan Moodie flew to Queensland yesterday to compete in this week's Australian national championships.
Waimarama's two gold medals came when Alicia McCormack and Zoe Nilsson won the under-19 girls board rescue and Sean Collins, Ryan Welch and Scott Bicknell combined to win the under-19 boys ski relay.
Chantelle Cowlrick was again a prominent figure in the Ocean Beach Kiwi club's successes.
She combined with her sister Larissa, Jaimee Strachan and Chloe Smith to win silver in the under-19 girls surf team race and also collected a bronze in the under-19 girls surf race.
