NSW has continued its supreme dominance across all areas of surf sports on the beach and in the waves winning the 2020 Interstates Championships and the Youth Pathway Cup for the third time each.
INTERSTATES REPORT
The rivalry was fiercer than ever as the two NSW Interstates and the Youth Pathway Cup teams arrived on the beach at Alexandra Headland in Queensland. Team NSW and NSW Country were ready and prepared with high-performance teams for the 2020 Surf Life Saving Interstates event.
Over 140 athletes battled it out in a state of origin style surf carnival on the Sunshine Coast. It was perfect conditions for a surf event with two-to-three foot swell making each race unpredictable and exhilarating.
In the end, there were only six-points between New South Wales and Queensland in the overall score with only one point separating the two rival states in the Open Championship.
It was a truly spectacular performance from all teams across youth and open competition with the lead changing multiple teams throughout the day between NSW and QLD with only a few points difference.
The Interstates event is one of the representative athletes favourite on the calendar. The state versus state competition isn’t based on individual results, but teams working together to gain maximum points in races.
Head coach Jim Walker couldn't have been more stoked with the achievements of the team.
"The team had some trouble early in the week with three open women not looking great after coming down ill. By today they all raced and went so well," said Jim. "Winning three Interstate Championships in a row, and this one being in Queensland is extra special. We've got a whole team of team players. It's been a very rewarding day for everyone."
“You come back to the tent, the coaches like Jimmy Walker, Scotty Thompson and legends (Mitch) Trimmy, Max and Lizzie, they’re reinforcing the positive energy, it’s so good to be here,” said 2019/20 Nutri-grain Ironwoman Britney Pierce with her spot in with the commentary team.
The beach relays helped get the final points on the board for NSW who haven't lost a beach relay in two years, that's eight in a row for the teams who mixed in some unlikely sprinters like champion Ironman Jackson Borg (Open) and the long legs of surf champ Zach Morris (Youth) to help secure their win.
NSW team captain Mitchell Trim said there were also some incredible individual performances.
"Max Brooks was the standout. He won the Board Race, Ski Race and the Ironman while Noah lead every ski event by a fair distance. Some great individual performances all round.
"All in all, we had a great day. The coaches and managers gave us every opportunity to make sure we were at our best," he said.
NSW Country had a point surge in the morning with a number of wins from Lily O’Sullivan in the Youth Surf Race and Bailey Copeland in the Open Surf Race. The team stacked with the state's hottest athletes are now primed for the 2020 Envirobank NSW Country Championships at Cudgen Headland SLSC next weekend.
"I'm just so stoked with how the team raced today," said Scott, "We are still a fairly new team this event but the result has definitely shown that we belong here within this competition. We aren’t just here to fill numbers, we take every point we can. Bailey Copeland did an amazing job taking out the Open Swim and our open female youth team finished second and third to contribute maximum points for the team. Our beach sprinters and flags athletes then backed it up with some great results.
Scott said the NSW Country team brings the iconic country attitude and racing into the event, "Everyone definitely loves to ruffle feathers of the more experienced teams. Each year we have improved our position and will be aiming for the podium next year."
2020 Interstate NSW Championship Results
Overall point score:
- NSW – 251
- QLD – 245
- WA – 167
- NSWC – 125
- SA – 122
- VIC – 103
Open point score:
- NSW – 122
- QLD – 121
- WA – 85
- NSWC – 67
- SA – 60
- VIC – 51
Youth point score:
- NSW – 129
- QLD – 124
- WA – 82
- SA – 62
- NSW C – 58
- VIC – 52
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NSW INTERSTATE TEAM
Youth:
- Nicola Owen (Redhead)
- Emily Doyle (Newport)
- Jasmine Locke (Bulli)
- Leah Rampoldi (North Cronulla)
- Grace Hewitt (Fingal)
- Bella Williams (Cooks Hill)
- Noah Havard (North Bondi)
- Finn Askew (Newport)
- Zac Morris (Newport)
- Kye Taylor (Swansea Belmont)
- Ace Haslam (Cronulla)
- Jack Bridges (Mollymook)
Opens:
- Naomi Scott (Manly)
- Jemma Smith (Umina)
- Britney Pierce (Wanda)
- Isabellah Walker (Cronulla)
- Lizzie Welborn (Newport)
- Alex Rampoldi (North Cronulla)
- Max Brooks (Newport)
- Daniel Collins (Redhead)
- Jackson Borg (Newport)
- CAPTAIN - Mitchell Trim (Newport)
- Sam Zustovich (Mollymook)
- Jamee Smith (Wanda)
- Lead Coach: Jim Walker
- Assistant Coach: Scott Thomson
- Assistant Coach: Daniel Robberds
- Team Manager: Greg Pierce
NSW COUNTRY INTERSTATE TEAM
Youth:
- Maisie Miller (Lennox Head-Alstonville)
- Olissa Onley (Cudgen)
- Lily O’Sullivan (Cudgen)
- Kirra Dale (Warilla-Barrack Point)
- Grace Eady (Byron Bay)
- Claire Van Kampen (Cape Hawke)
- Nicholas Bulloch (Coffs Harbour)
- Joseph Warne (Cudgen)
- Liam Worling (Cudgen)
- Jayden Allen (Warilla-Barrack Point)
- Nathan Mackenzie (Lennox Head-Alstonville)
- Tyler Sweetman (Cape Hawke)
Opens:
- Chloe Jones (Cudgen)
- Taylah Allen (Warilla-Barrack Point)
- Anthea Warne (Cudgen)
- Sofie Boyd (Cudgen)
- Hayley Smith (Cudgen)
- Cahrizma MacDonald-cass (Cabarita)
- Bailey Copeland (Cudgen)
- Kai Onley (Cudgen)
- CAPTAIN - Angus MacPhail (Cudgen)
- Brock Scrivener (Mollymook)
- Cody Bell (Cudgen)
- Scott McCartney (Cudgen)
- Head Coach: Scott McCartney
- Assistant Coach: Susan McCaughtrie