Riley Jones joined Taj Wilson, Jamie Burden and Alila Tepa in claiming home-town titles at the annual Bundaberg leg of the Central Queensland Junior Tennis Development Series at Rotary and Drinan Parks on the weekend.
Twenty Bundaberg and Agnes Water players, including four first-timers, were among the field of 50 who competed over the two days, with visitors coming from Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Gayndah, Gladstone, and Rockhampton.
Taj took out the Boys 15 & Under title with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over fellow local Lachlan Campbell, while Riley accounted for Hayden Rethamel also in straight sets 6-0, 6-0 in the Boys 13 & Under, Jamie overcame Agnes Water’s Lilly Fraser 4-1, 4-2 in the Girls 13 & Under, and Alila edged out Riley’s sister Reagan 7-6, 7-6 in an epic Girls 11 & Under decider.
Gayndah’s Kody Baker reigned in Boys 17 & Under, downing Ethan May 6-3, 6-1.
Lachlan Campbell also placed third in the Boys 17 & Under with a win over Taj Wilson 6-2, 4-6 (10 – 8), with Faolina Tepa, Noah Hensel and Zain Ali winding up 5th, 6th, and 7th respectively.
Noah also grabbed 5th in the Boys 15 & Under, while Kody’s sister Zoe took 5th in the Girls 15 & Under, with Shane Oosthuizen and Poppy Loeskow 7th and 8th respectively.
Edison Rodgers (Agnes Water) defeated Ashton Litke 3-6, 7-6 (10-1) for 3rd in the Boys 13 & Under, with Zander White, Oscar Buckley, Harrison Keightly and Achi Sairat placing 7th, 11th, 13th, and 14th respectively.
In the Girls 13 & Under, Tamika Nielsen achieved 3rd, ahead of Sanapu Tepa (4th), with Lucy Geisler a creditable 8th.
Nathan AIvory and Jake Wall came in 5th and 8th respectively in the Boys 11 & Under, both in their first tournaments.
Tamika Nielson, Reagan Jones, Edison Rodgers (Agnes Wates) and Ashton Litke are all Bundaberg representatives in the Wide Bay Primary Schools team.
NETBALL
Congratulations to the Bundaberg Red side which finished runners-up to Caboolture Gold in the Under-15a division of the Bundaberg Representative Carnival at the Superpark last weekend.
All other Bundaberg sides competed well across the two-day feast of netball, but Caboolture was the most successful association, also taking out the 15b, 14a, 14b and 13a divisions, and finishing runners-up in 14b, and 12a.
Rockhampton picked up the 12a and 12b double, and were runners-up in 13a and 13b, while PRNA snared 13b honours, and Beaudesert Jetts and Capricorn Coast wound up second in 15b and 12b, respectively.
Congratulations also to the Bundaberg Association for conducting the event with 61 teams battling it over a total of 17 rounds, with the carnival running like clockwork.
Fixtures return to their regular weekend time-slot tomorrow, when Net, Set & Go will also blast off for the season.
In the Warren Family Homes Division 1 Premiership, title holders and competition leaders Waves Gold will suit up against Brothers Hurricanes, and Waves Blue are opposed to Fusion Solomons, both at 5pm, before Natives Magpies go for goal against Alloway Blue at 6.30pm.
RUGBY LEAGUE
The gulf between the two halves of the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership table could get wider with the top three sides to meet the bottom three in Round 7 action this weekend.
Wests Panthers are clear leaders on 10 points, with Easts Magpies and Hervey Bay Seagulls sharing second position each on 7 points, with Waves Tigers, reigning champions Past Brothers and Wallaroos together in the cellar on 4 points apiece.
Wallaroos, who were brought crashing back to earth with a 34-12 home drubbing by the Magpies last Saturday, are again hosts at Eskdale Park tomorrow against the high-flying Panthers.
On Sunday at Salter Oval, Brothers will be desperate to snap a two-match losing streak against Hervey Bay at 1.30pm, with the Seagulls also determined to avoid three straight losses.
At 3pm, it will be another battle royale between the Easts and Waves after the Magpies prevailed 24-12 in their last meeting on April 10, but the Tigers are back on track after kick-starting their season with two straight wins.
In the Northern Districts, the South Kolan Sharks’ juggernaut looks set to roll on when they host reigning champions Avondale Tigers this Sunday at 2.45pm after Miriam Vale Magpies chase their first win of 2021 at 1pm against Gin Gin Hawks, who had their wings clipped last week by the Sharks.
In the Women’s League Tag, it will be an Avondale intra-club duel between the Tigers and Hornets at 12.15pm.
AFL
Flag holders Across The Waves Eagles will need to turn around 37-point drubbing by Bay Power when they last met on April 30 if they are to triumph in their rematch in the Wide Bay Marcquis Macadamias Seniors Premiership at Frank Coulthard Oval at 2.30pm tomorrow, but they will have home ground advantage this time.
Meanwhile, there appears no respite in sight for the battling Brothers Bulldogs when they travel to face the might of all-conquering leaders Hervey Bay Bombers at Norm McLean Oval.
FOOTBALL
After recording their first win of the season in the Wide Bay Premier League Men’s division last week, SC Corinthians will get the perfect chance to go back-to-back when they suit up against KSS Jets at Martens Oval at 6pm tomorrow.
The other Premier Men’s local matches this week are at club grounds, both at 6pm, with Across The Waves (ATW) to host United Park Eagles (UPE), with the duo two of the three joint-leaders, in a heavyweight blockbuster, and Brothers-Aston Villa fired up to bounce back from two heavy losses when they roll out the welcome mat to Doon Villa.
Bundaberg’s other representatives in the division, Bingera and the win-less Diggers, will both be away to joint No. 1’s Fraser Flames and Sunbury Blues, respectively.
In the Premier League Women’s action, both Fraser Coast derbies of the round were played on Thursday night, with the Bundaberg local derby between ATW and Bingera to take centre-stage at Martens Oval at 6pm tonight.
HOCKEY
Waves Cities will be keen to hit back from their loss to Raiders/Rovers last week when they take on Arrows/Athletics in the Division 1 Men’s competition at 4.30pm tomorrow at Hinkler Park after the two club’s Division 1 women do battle at 3.10pm.
Raiders/Rovers will be up against All Blacks with their Division 1 Men’s showdown at 5.50pm and Women to follow at 7.10pm.
GREYHOUNDS
Goodwood trainer Stephen Bland and Ken Boody, of Dalma, dominated this week’s Bundaberg meeting, each claiming winning doubles.
Stephen was successful with outsider Cambla Doll ($9) in the Best 8 and Cambla Gem in a 5th Grade, while Ken got the money with Zipping Gibson, which beat all comers in the 4th Grade, and he picked up the quinella in the 5th Grade Pathway Non-Penalty with 80-race veteran Farmor Crownies, which was on track debut, and Farmor Watch It.
Three other District trainers were also successful on the day, Louise Cameron with the consistent Sassy Elle in the Novice Non-Penalty, Lorraine Isles with Unencumbered, which posted his fourth win from his past6 starts in the 550m 5th Grade, and Lindsay McCarthy with Black Rocker in the Masters 5th Grade.
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