Bundaberg Athletic Club and West Bundaberg Little Athletics' multi-Australian and Queensland champion and rising superstar Jonty Murdoch has again produced two Queensland Best Performances in his two premier events.
Those are the Boys Under-17 Discus and Shot Put at the Little Athletics Queensland 2023 Coles Spring Carnival on his home track at Bundaberg Regional Athletics Facility.
He threw 55.05 m and 17.23 m respectively to obliterate the previous marks of 53.76 m and 15.71 m, both of which had been set in 2016.
Jonty now holds nine Queensland Best performances in Discus, Shot Put, and Javelin, dating back to the Under-12 Shot Put in 2019.
Jonty was one of 683 athletes from 51 Centres from Rockhampton south to Gold Coast who competed across 316 events on a jam-packed program from 8.30 am to well into the evening, with our Region also represented by Bargara, Bundaberg, Gin Gin, and Isis District.
Olympic Gold Medallist and Coles Little Athletics Ambassador Sally Pearson was a smash hit with fans of all ages on the day, signing autographs, smiling for photos, handing out fruit, and inspiring everyone.
West Bundaberg produced 10 other winners, including Hallee McCoombes, who took out five Girls U13-14 years Multi-Class events, the 100m, 200m, Shot Put, Discus, and Javelin, and Libby Venner, who bagged four, the Girls U15-17 Multi-Class 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, and Long Jump.
They had two other multiple-victors, Kosta Wolff, who beat all comers in the Boys U8 70 m, 100 m, and 200 m, and Braith Hart, who clinched the Boys U9 400 m – 800 m double.
Six other club-mates took out one event each, Aylah Wallace (Girls U16 200 m), sisters Matilda and Immogen Kemps, in the Girls U11 400 m and Girls U9 60 m Hurdles respectively, Lexi Naude (Girls U9 High Jump), Avena Baker (Girls U11 Shot Put), and Greg Venner (Boys U15-17 Multi-Class 400 m).
For Bargara, Lachlan Philo again led the charge with four victories, in the Boys U16 1500 m Walk, and Boys U15-17 Multi-Class Long Jump, Discus, and Javelin, while Ethan Tait and Maryella Skoric each tasted dual success, in the Boys U15-17 Multi-Class 100 m and 200 m, and Girls U11-12 Multi-Class Discus and Javelin, respectively.
Indianna Keightley and Logan Macaulay completed Bargara’s honours list, powering to gold in the Girls U10 800m and Boys U11 Triple Jump, respectively.
Xavier Blair carried the Bundaberg club to the fore in the Boys U15 High Jump and Javelin, while they had three other champions in one event each, Jack Nettle in the Boys U9-10 Multi-Class Shot Put, Ava Ilander in the Girls U13 400 m, and Willem Bock in the Boys U9 700 m Walk.
Michael Ebert starred for Isis District, racking up two gold, in the Boys U16 Shot Put and Discus, while they had three other athletes who made it to the top of the dais,Billie Callaway in the Girls U7 Discus, Caleb Faass Boys in the U15 100m Hurdles, and Logan Scholl, in the Boys U13 Shot Put.
Gin Gin had a number of medallists, but no Gold.
West Bundaberg was a clear winner in the Centre Participation % Award (Weighted Points) with an impressive 1229.19%, followed by Bargara 971.17%, Isis District 968.92%, and Bundaberg 528.78%, with Gin Gin coming in 16th with 99.55%.
Football
It will be a classic David and Goliath battle when Across The Waves host FQPL1 Premiers and 2024 National Premier League club Surfers Paradise Apollo in the Football Queensland Premier League Mitre Champions League Final at Waves Sports Complex tomorrow at 7.30 pm, and they have implored the people of Bundaberg to come along and get behind the team.
Waves lost the McDonald’s FQPL Wide Bay Men’s Grand Final to United Park Eagles 3-2 in extra-time on 16 September, but they bounced back to defeat Leichhardt FC of Cairns 1-0 in the Champions League Regional Final at Underwood Park a week later.
But this is another step up again and coach Rick Irvine knows the magnitude of the task at hand.
If you can’t make to the game, all the action will be streamed live and free on FQTV
Cricket
Easts Magpies will be bolstered by the addition of a well performed English import bowling all-rounder in Ollie Horne when they take on reigning champions Brothers in the third round of the Rum City Foods Division 1 Premiership at Salter Oval at 11 am tomorrow.
Easts beat Norths by three wickets in their only game so far on 16 September, on the back of a four-wicket haul to veteran spinner Lachlan Donovan, and 109 from just 57 balls from Arden Lankowski.
Twenty-two-year-old Ollie, who hails from Gloucestershire and plays for Dumbleton Cricket Club in the West of England League, and formerly played University Cricket at Cardiff while completing a Sports Media Degree, adds extra fast bowling and batting starch at his Australian debut.
He boasts a best bowling performance of 6-12 against Sussex University and a highest score of exactly 100.
Ollie, who will also play for Betta Heat in the Aussie Bundy Big Bash and is also coaching Easts’ juniors, wants to use his summer in Bundaberg as a steppingstone to ultimately playing professionally.
“I want to get experience for the conditions here and help improve my game – the pitches here are a lot harder and flatter than the UK, and hopefully I can develop my skills, be part of a winning team at Easts, and win the comp,” Ollie said.
Brothers will be without reigning Tallon Medallist and captain Mitchell Parsons, while they will also be up against blazing all-rounder Arden for the first time since he returned to the Magpies after a one-year stint with them, during which he was Player of the Grand Final in their victory over Waves in March.
Meanwhile, in the other Division 1 match, Norths will be keen to open their account after two losses, but they will be up against Waves, who were beaten by Brothers in a high scoring affair 320 to 300 in their only game so far, also on 16 September.
The Big Bash will also blast off tonight with two T/10 clashes, with Searles RV Centre Vikings to line up against Takalvans Taipans at 6.30 pm, before Headland Pies start their title defence against Betta Heat at 8 pm.
There are five Bundaberg players in the Wide Bay team which will clash with Redlands in the Taverners Queensland Boys Under-17 competition at Salter Oval at 10 am this Sunday, Nic DeLacy, River Felstead, Lachlan Heycox, Sam Stuchbery, and Aeddan White.
Wide Bay have lost their three games so far, including a 10-wicket drubbing by Sandgate-Redcliffe last Sunday.
Softball
Waves Tsunamis will start their Coral Coast Softball A Grade Ladies title defence when they travel to meet Terrors in the first round of the competition in Hervey Bay tomorrow afternoon.
Earlier, Waves Schooners will also do battle with Terrors in the A Grade Men’s competition.
At Brothers Sports Club, Brothers United Heat Men will take on Bargara Bombers at 2 pm, before perennial A Grade Ladies Grand Finalists Brothers United Firesticks will take to the diamond against Bargara Bandits at 3.50 pm.
- See last week's sports results here.
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