Winners for Monday Triples were L Fox, K Pedlar, and G Feast.

Runners Up S Roome, D Richards, and R Agg.

The jackpot didn’t go off.

On Tuesday winners were Bruce, Douglas, Pauline Cochrane, and Michael Loughhead who defeated Bron Tolcher, Keith Aykens.

Runner Up M Coad A Pearson, J Dawson, P Cochrane

Winners for our Fun Friday afternoon were Col Taylor, Peter Donoghue, and Viv.

The jackpot didn’t go off.

Friday night barefoot bowls winners for the night were Kerri, Geoff, Teresa, and Penny who defeated Grant June Cheryl and Bill.

We had a great Saturday afternoon of bowls with the annual Wangaratta versus All States challenge.

With a full green there were plenty of good bowls from both sides and it was played with great enthusiasm and determination.

Wangaratta came in winners with 167 shots against All States with 140 making it four years in a row.

Rink winners for the afternoon came out on Rink 2 where Marie Nesbitt, June Walsh, France Wilman, and Keith Armstrong defeated Tracey Roach, Sue Shearing, Steve Roome, and Allan Rolfe.

Most of us came back on Sunday for another game.

Winners for the afternoon were Kevin Baxter, John and Rodney who defeated M Harvey, Keith Aykens, and Maureen Hyde.

Contributed with thanks to Penny Warren.

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Wangaratta Teams Wang V All States 2023. Photo supplied

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This week’s 9-hole stabelford competition saw Dee Norman take first place on 27 pts, second with 24 pts Cy Taylor and third with 22 pts Bree Harvey.

This week was a good week for Bree Harvey getting not only third in the weekly comp but a hole in one on hole 2 also Justyn Durbin scored a hole in one on hole 7.

Fridays stableford saw Jay Angel first place with 20 pts, second with 19 pts was Michael Pettiford and third on 18 pts was Josh Barnard.

On Sunday we held the 4 ball better ball Championships taking the win was Asher Ventham and Deeray Fo’ou with a 45.25 net, second with a 46 net saw Glenn Rees and Rob Lodders, third place saw Tyson Flavel and Craig Kennedy with a 46.75 net. Great job Gentlemen.

This Sunday July 30th will be our 18-hole monthly medal stableford tee off at 10.00am hope to see you all there.

Contributed with thanks to the Whitsunday Green Team.

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Pictured: Asher Ventham and Deeray Fo’ou

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While the weatherman said that the wind would be from the south-east, Wednesday afternoon saw the wind swinging by up to 40 degrees, making for a challenging race for the 18 boats who competed in the Whitsunday Sailing Club twilight race.

First away was Treasure VIII (Rob Davis), frantically checking that they hadn’t fouled the starting process.  

Once clear, they were soon overrun by the faster boats, with QMS Ponyo (John Galloway) first around the windward buoy.  

A couple of close battles ensued, with Bobby’s Girl (Mark Beale) and QMS Ponyo swapping places many times, while a similar scenario saw Reignition (Charles Wallis) and Smooth Criminal (Leo Rodriguez) having similar battles.  

At the front, Bobby’s Girl got the advantage on the last leg, crossing the finish 15 seconds ahead, with Reignition and Smooth Criminal a further two minutes back.  

On corrected time, QMS Ponyo took the honours over Wide Load and Treasure VIII.

The start of Division Three saw little to choose between Lighthorse (Di Forster) and Rossgo (Greg Hammon), with the judge’s decision going to Lighthorse for the Doyle Sails sponsored best start prize.

On the water, Matchless (Terry Stevens) soon hit the front, clearing out to finish two minutes clear of Shiraz (John Cable).  

Once ashore and the handicapping took over, it was Fordplay who celebrated with a two minute lead over Shiraz and Masquerade.  

Contributed with thanks Ross Chisholm.

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Twilight Races see tough competition. Photo supplied

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On Saturday, three Cannonvale swimmers joined 80 other swimmers from around Australia to swim 8km from Magnetic Island to Townsville.  

Cannonvale swimmers, Jacob Bell, Kyle Pevitt-Scott and Mark Erickson could not believe their luck with the weather.  

It was ideal weather for an ocean swim, 22 degrees, neat tide and hardly any wind.

Jacob Bell was in the lead for most of the race but was overtaken in the last kilometre.  

Jacob swam a super time of 1 hour and 47 min.  

He was 1st male out of the water and was the 3rd overall.  

Jacob was 1st in his 14 – 17-year-old age group.  

Kyle swam an excellent time of 2 hours and 9 minutes and was the 22nd swimmer out of the water.  Kyle was awarded 3rd place for his 35 – 49-year age group.  

Mark Erickson was impressed with how he swam.  

He swam a fantastic time of 2 hours and 6min and was 1st in the males over 60 years.  Congratulations Jacob, Kyle, and Mark!  

The Townsville Open Water Swimming Association, TOWSA awarded Mark Erickson with the Dick Wickenden Memorial Trophy for outstanding effort.  

Some Cannonvale swimmers are now preparing for the triathlon events next weekend and the start of the Cannonvale Cannons’ new season.  

Contributed with thanks to Raylene Rasmussen.

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Jacob Mark and Kyle at Presentation Ceremony TOWSA 2023

Jacob Bell 1st Male Magnetic Island Swim 2023. Photos supplied

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Champion Mackay point guard Isaac White is racing the clock to be fit for this Saturday night’s NBL 1 North Basketball Conference quarter final showdown with South West Metro Pirates at Brisbane’s Hibiscus Sports Stadium.

The mercurial White was a late withdrawal from the Meteors side that tossed Red City Roar 102-84 at Mackay Basketball Stadium to clinch a finals berth but is hopeful he can overcome a torn quadricep injury to lead the club in a do-or-die fixture.

On the final night of the preliminary season the Meteors narrowly missed securing a top four spot but enter the play-offs from fifth position and with winning momentum.

The fourth placed Pirates staved off a challenge from North Gold Coast Seahawks to register a 103-99 victory.

In the absence of White, talented forward Christian Maran and guard Tyler Williams stepped up with classy performances as Mackay ended the season with an 11-8 record.

Maran showed his leadership qualities to contribute 23 points, six assists and four rebounds for the Meteors while the skilful Williams posted 23 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Other Meteors players to impress were 18-year-old St Patrick’s College whiz Amarco Doyle who made the most of his valuable court time to nab 14 points, nine boards, three assists and two steals; the flamboyant Isaiah Lee (13 points, eight assists and seven steals) and DJ Baptiste (10 points, 12 rebounds and four assists).

American power forward Jaylen Key posted 22 points, 10 rebounds and three assists for Red City with Kane Bishop adding 18 points, seven boards and five assists.

Red City pushed the Meteors all the way with the home side ramming home their advantage in the final quarter.

MACKAY Meteorettes ended their 2023 campaign on a winning note after toppling wooden-spooners Red City Roar 84-77.

Fielding one of the youngest lineups in the North Conference, the Meteorettes finished the season with a 4-15 record but proved competitive against the competition’s more experienced sides.

Red City led for most of the match until Mackay surged in the final quarter with the gifted Davida Dale (19 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals), Charli Bliss (13 points and two boards), Denesha Bobongie (11 points and five rebounds), Courtney Virgo (11 points, nine boards, four assists and three steals) and Brittany Reeves (10 points, 20 rebounds and four assists) all producing top displays.

The Roar were best served by classy guard Lilly Rotunno (28 points, four rebounds and four assists), Donica Cosby (20 points, seven boards, three assists and two steals) and Angela Beadle (17 points, six rebounds and two assists).

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Photo credit: Chris Karas

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The final of the B singles and the open singles were played on North Mackay greens on June 21.

The open singles game was between Nuggy Pratt and Lorna Bowers. Nuggy got away from Lorna early, but Lorna managed to come back, but unfortunately just a bit too late, so the winner was Nuggy Pratt.

The B singles was between Maryann Bartolo and Brenda Trannore. In much the same vein as the open ladies; Maryann got away to a substantial lead early, but Brenda clawed her way back to only lose by a few points. The games were exciting to watch and spectators were in awe of such great sportsmanship.

Wednesday social winners were: Gloria Sam and Daphne Offield. Runners up were: Judith Snow, Sue Hazledine and Pat O’Neill

Wednesday social winners for June 7 were: Cheryl Corbett and Sue Hazledine. Runners up were: Wendy McGee, Sue Roscoe and Cathy Matthews.

Wednesday social winners for June 14 were: Min Andrew, Shirley Bartolo and Deb Mackenzie. Runners up were: Fay McCubben, Jean Zamparutti and Pat O’Neill.

Wednesday social winners for June 29 were: Gloria Sam, Margaret Goldston and Donna Gordon. Runners up were: Lyn Maguire and Kathy Mathews

Wednesday social winners for July 6 were: Carmel O’Loughlin and Debbie Mackenzie. Runners up were: Lesley Baumgarten, Hilary Jones-Rowan and Bev Woodward.

Wednesday social winners for July 12 were Bev McDonald, Brenda Trannore and Maryann Bartolo. Runners up were: Gloria Sam, Helen Fleming and Hilary Jones-Rowan.

Pennant season has come to an end for the 2023 season. The North Mackay Ladies have taken out Division 3.

On the final day of pennants competition, the 1st Division ladies clashed against Souths Suburban on July 16. North Mackay came out winners on the day, but unfortunately didn’t win this years’ competition. That honour went to Souths Suburban.

Contributed by Sue Hazledine

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L-R Pat O’Neill, Maryann Bartolo, Daphne Offield, Helen Goldston, Narell Schmidtke, Isla Comelli, Jean Zamparutti and Dorothy Wise. Photo supplied

B Singles Runner up Brenda Trannore (L) and Winner Maryann Bartolo (R)

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Les Stagg Oval in Proserpine is the established home base for the Whitsunday Brahmans Rugby League Club.

Last Saturday night the high-flying Souths Logan Magpies nearly described it as a “graveyard” after snatching a 14-12 victory over the Mackay Cutters in QRL Hostplus Cup action.

With ten minutes left on the clock the Cutters were poised to spring the boilover of the season when they led the competition leaders 12-10 in an absorbing tussle.

But a late try by centre Jesse Jennings enabled the Magpies to secure their 13th win of the season and maintain top spot after 17 matches.

It was another cruel finish for Michael Comerford’s courageous Cutters who have shown improved form in recent weeks.

Both sides defended stoutly until Souths Logan opened the scoring after 22 minutes when back rower Tyler Coburn crashed through tackles to grab a try with half back Jack Campagnolo adding the extras.

The Magpies extended their lead when fullback Byron Johnson sliced through to score his team’s second try before Mackay hit back before the break with a four pointer by five eighth Adam Cook and Brandon Finnegan conversion.

An upset was brewing as the Cutters went toe to toe with the premiership pacesetters and when strong running centre Joshua Smith crossed for a 60th minute try and Finnegan potted his second goal the match took a dramatic twist.

The sharp running Jennings broke the hearts of the Cutters rugby league fraternity with his late heroics, but the Mackay men can stand tall after producing their finest display of the season.

Mackay travel to Jack Manski Oval on Saturday July 29 for their next Hostplus Cup fixture against Townsville Blackhawks at 4pm with Hastings Deering Under 21 Colts clash at 2pm.

Photos supplied: Mackay Cutters

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Mackay SLSC recently held their annual awards presentations on the grounds of the surf club overlooking Mackay’s beautiful Harbour Beach.

Club President Brendan Smith opened the afternoon recognising the club’s contribution of “Vigilance and Service” to the Mackay community as the “Guardians of Harbour Beach” for over 70 years, as well as another challenging yet rewarding season.

Mr. Smith said, “Being a volunteer organisation there are many people who make sacrifices to contribute to the running of various aspects of the club, this ensures that we can keep our beach safe for the Mackay Community.”

The awards afternoon was a way of recognising both junior and senior members who make a difference, from the volunteer workforce who run major carnivals such as the North Australian Titles and Branch Titles, the Nippers program and surf sports, the club’s valued sponsors and most importantly the Club Captain, patrol teams and patrolling members who keep our beaches safe.

AWARD WINNERS

Junior Club Champion - Ash Johnson

John Patti Most Improved Nipper – Lachlan Griffith

Flo Payne Club Nipper Culture - Molly Madden

George Moody Quiet Achiever – Isabella Grant

Junior Coaches Award - Bodie Mau

Junior Club Captain - Molly Madden

President’s award for ‘Service and Vigilance - David Fitzmaurice

Volunteer of the year – Josh Grant

Surf Rescue Trainee of the year - Molly Madden

Patrol of the Year – Patrol 5: David Fitzmaurice, Jayne Freier, Jakobi Pearce, Ben Johnson and Lexi Schiffer

Coach of the year - Jayne Freier

Senior competitor of the year – Ben Madden

Patrol Captain of the year – David Fitzmaurice

Recognition of Major sponsors - M & P Services, Craig’s Couriers, Bulk Fuel Australia, Key Solutions Group and Dave Griffith Electrical

Contributed by Josh Grant

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Patrol of the Year – Patrol 5: (L – R) Lexi Schiffer, David Fitzmaurice, Jayne Freier, Jakobi Pearce. Ben Johnson (Absent). Recognised for their outstanding service to beachgoers

Nippers celebrating the end of season at break up

Most Improved Nipper – Lachlan Griffith

Age Champions for the U8 – U14 Nippers

Isabella Grant was awarded the “Quiet Achiever” Award for the season.  Here she is taking out silver at Champion Lifesaver 2022

Mackay Road Runners held a very social 5km and 10km afternoon run/walk from Bluewater Quay in perfectly cool and sunny conditions, although the seriously swirling headwind on the return trip across Forgan Smith Bridge was a bit testing.  

Great to see the return of Colin Hardy, Carol Brown and Jarrod Mackie for a rare Sunday afternoon event with the Mackay Road Runners.  

Carolyn Mapes had a sensational 10km run backing up well after her third place in the Eungella King of the Mountain the previous weekend. Her sprint finish just pipped Andrew Wallace on the finish line as she came from behind in a final effort to pass him.  Reigning Queen of last weekend’s Eungella King of the Mountain had the tough job of pushing the kids in the double pram which was quite testing on the 2.5km return trip where a serious headwind turned the pram into a sail without a rudder.  

Congratulations to Airlie Running Festival competitors where local runners proudly flew the Mackay banner.  Mick Vivian had a terrific run clocking 3 hours 11 minutes and one second claiming the silver medal in the Marathon ahead of clubmate, Paul Mackenzie (3:23:06). Nigel Thomas and Brenda Windsor also took on the 42.2km distance with ease.  Half Marathon Mackay Road Runners, Kay Nyenuh, Martin Lambert, Lisa Burns and Carole Dawes all put in solid performances as did Tia Gorrie, Chrissy Evangelou and Kim Ford in the 10km.

Sadly this weekend’s Beach to Gardens event has been cancelled therefore, as there was no scheduled run on the Road Runners calendar due to this event, the club has decided on a run from the Bluewater Quay at 4.30pm.  Keep an eye out for notices from the Club Secretary throughout the week with further details.

Well done to our junior contingent of runners who travelled to Hervey Bay representing the Capricornia Team – results unavailable at time of writing.

Contributed by Janelle Tilse

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Good hearted heckling by Carolyn Mapes and Andrew Wallace as Carolyn manages a sprint to pip Andrew at the finish line

Colin Hardy made a welcome return to the Mackay Road Runners afternoon social event. Photo credit: Janelle Tilse

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Mackay Bowls Club is hosting the Championship Men’s District Fours this weekend.

Representing Mackay Bowls Club is K Tranberg, A Gibson, G Edmonds, and N Wilson.

Tuesday Social Bowls was back to normal with 28 players rolling up, the club welcoming visitors P Hancock and P Nikitin.

Winners of Winners: Leanne Jenner, Barry Jenner, Peter Taaffe.

Winner of Losers: P Hancox, P Nikitin.

Thursday Scroungers started late after a few showers put the afternoon on hold for a while.

In the final Brad Robertson def Dan.

Friday Social Play: Janice Nelson, Julie Caban, Marie Mayfield def Leanne Jenner, Barry Jenner, Dot McNamara.

Competition Results:

Ladies U/65 Singles:

Karina Dunn def Kirstine Robinson.

Kerrie Catanzariti def Toni Blucher.

Men’s Open Singles:

Peter Carter def Jim Wallace 26-13

Ross Dunstan def Peter Carter 25-17

Open Pairs:

Peter Carter, Peter Taffe def Tom Casey Eddie Roberts 19-13

Russel Fry (sub), Bruce Bridger def Justin Strong (sub), Barry Paskins 22-15

Were Herewini, Ross Blanchard def Peter Carter, Peter Taafe

Contributed by Mike Irving

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Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday night fixtures July 11, 2023 (round 1):

Division 1:

Andro (George Camilleri, Robbie Richards, Barry Patterson) d Donic (Anne Sheridan, Graham Drury, Ivan Perkins) 7-4. Ivan d George -6, 4, 12, 7.

Joola (Andrew McHugh, Geoff Denman, Janice Kent) d Tibhar (Vince Boeske, Steven Whiting, Tim Shehan) 9-2. Janice d Geoff -8, 12, 6, -11 7.

Butterfly (Emma Widdup, Allan Edwards, Graeme Walker) d Radak (Graham Brake, Mick Ruhl, Lee Brake) 9-2. Emma d Mick 11, -9, 10, -6, 5.

Division 2:

Yasaka (Andrea Nicholson, Peter Goodson) d Xiom (Duncan Treloar, Aarnav Reelh) 5-4. Peter d Aarnav 3, -8, -13, 5, 5.

Stiga (Tony Bowman, Donna Abbott, Leo Gilbert) d Victas (Steve Crocker, Mark Sleeman, Steve Mathieson) 7-4. Donna d Steve 2, 8, -8, -9, 4.

Nittaku (John McGee, Ian McKay, Will VanDeKaa) d Geow (Lily Boland, Matthew West, Trent Day) 6-5. Ian d Lily -5, -11, 5, 12, 5.

Division 3:

Zeta (Darren Chong, David Symons, Bill Hey) d Elsilon (Jye Vallander, Lucas Chong, Anaya Reelh) 6-5. Lucas d Darren -7, 6, -12, 7, 12.

Delta (Saisha Palod, Aarnav Reelh, Val Austin) d Gamma (Mark Stam, Praneesh Cheruku, Craig VanDeKaa) 9-2. Aarnav d Mark 9, -11, 8, -7, 5.

Alpha (Rymer Tabulo, Misha Palod, Ollie Hamelink) d Beta (Natmat Dhaliwal, Simon Hogan, Kade Wright) 8-3. Simon d Rymer -7, -6, 11, 8, 5.

Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday morning fixtures July 11, 2023:

Division 1:

Yellow (Donna Abbott, Peter Goodson, Bryan Marshall) d Blue (George Camilleri, John McGee, Don Boettcher) 7-5. Donna d George -4, 8, -5, 7, 7.

Red (Branko Vucurovic, Steve Mathieson, Kevin Abbott) d Green (Charlie Payne, Tony Bowman, Doug Dungavell) 11-1. Steve d Doug -10, 6, 10, -6, 7.

Division 2:

Purple (Iris Grasso, Ken Best, Judi Hicks) d Orange (Cheryl Pearson, Louise Gould, Gerry Synnott) 10-2. Ken d Iris -6, 10, -7, 5, 9.

Pink (Robyn Bushell, John Hamelink, Fred Saliba) d White (Charles Hamlett, Marie Taylor, Kim Daffy) 7-5. Robyn d Kim -9, -8, 5, 10, 7.

Division 3:

Tan (Cheryl Aprato, Madge Saunders, Bill Hey) d Lime (Glenda Brookes, Myles Dutton) 11-1. Cheryl d Myles -6, 5, 3, 12.

Grey (Sharon Muller, Steve Blackshaw, Rhonda Griffiths) d Aqua (Pam Keune, Robyn Giles, Glenda Dutton) 9-3. Rhonda d Glenda -7, -12, 6, 8, 3.

Contributed by Charlie Payne

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Robyn Bushell and Kim Daffy in action in Tuesday morning table tennis fixtures: Photo credit: Charlie Payne

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Now two months into her professional development, Lily Peacock, has made her Women’s State of Origin debut.

Earlier this year, Lily made the move to Townsville, to begin her development with the Toyota Cowboys, a move which has rewarded her with a shot at the U19 Women’s State of Origin.

Picked as one of four players from the Cowboys, Lily travelled to Redcliff for the double header game, with the U19s Men’s State of Origin happening afterwards.

“It was the toughest and fastest game I’ve played yet,” she explained.

During the first half, Lily left the field for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) but was able to return to play shortly after.

“I just focused on the questions, because I wanted to get back out there.”

Ultimately, it paid off, with the Maroons coming out on top, with a 20 to 14 victory.

“We train hard, and I was pretty rapt when I made the team,” Lily said.

Lily was voted the Players Player for the match, and is looking forward to 2024, where she is hopeful to make the U19s Women’s Marrons again, before she turns 19 years old.

“My parents were in the crowd too, and my dad said that he preferred the women’s game.”

Back with the Cowboys, she will face the Titans on July 22 on the Gold Coast.

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Lily Peacock with other Toyota Cowboys Women’s State of Origin picks Shaylee Joseph, Libby Surha, and Ebony Raftstrand-Smith. Photos supplied

The Tassal Group Airlie Beach Marathon Festival was held over the weekend with almost 500 runners pounding the footpaths and boardwalk around the foreshore.

The competitors came from all over Australia and further afield with entries from New Zealand, Scotland, and the USA.

The McDonald’s Magic Mile was the enticer on Saturday afternoon with Billy Grogan winning the men’s race and Claire Ashworth taking the cash in the women’s category.

The North Queensland Marathon Championship was the marquee event for the meet and was won by local Whitsunday Running Club member Viv Compton who broke her previous record in a time of 3:22:02.

The defending men’s champion, Justin Gibbs retained his title in a much-improved time of 2:47:40.

We had our first ever wheelchair entry this year with Chris ‘Wheelsie’ Keillor from Western Australia completing the course in a record time of 5:33:58 using a standard wheelchair.

The ‘boutique marathon’ attracted a larger field than last year and included some interesting personalities all running for various reasons.

The Tassal Group Half Marathon also saw the lady’s record broken by Canberra runner Claire Ashworth in 1:22:27.

The men’s winner was a surprise entry by Tom Ferrington from Scotland who finished just outside the record in 1:18:36.

The 2km boy’s section was won by Banjor Moser followed by Don Vinh Algie and Lucas Appleton.

The girl’s section winner was Willow Moser with Isabella Gomez second and Penelope Shields third.

The 1km girl’s category was won by Ella Maddock with runner up Alihra Karon and Aria Crawford. The boys were led home by Billy Appleton then James Gibbs and Oliver Bright.

The Event Manager, Tim McQuoid-Mason said that:

“The results achieved to today were very impressive as the south easter was howling through at about 25knotts and despite that there were two new records set by Liv Compton and Claire Ashworth.

It was great to see the community support with 40 marshals out on the course. Thank you to all the volunteers, runners, and the community for sharing the foreshore with us.”

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Whitsunday Running Club members in 10km

Mascot Race

Marathon runners

Justin Gibbs CSM

Tom Ferrington half winner from Scotland

Support gang

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The Coral Sea Resort Airlie Beach Triathlon Festival is only seven days away with a record field nominated and the event has been boosted by late news that former Netherlands superstar Lotte Wilms will be joining in the female professional field.

Wilms is now based in Sydney and is a multiple winner on the World triathlon circuit with her most recent victory in lronman Austria on June 20.

The Airlie Beach Triathlon will be her final warm-up event before heading off to the first staging of the Professional Triathletes Organisation Asian Open event in Singapore August 19 and 20.

Race director Michael Kimpton said the late entry of Wilms gives the 2023 Airlie Beach triathlon the€ strongest field in the event's history.

"But wait there’s more.... next weekend's event will also see our local star Daniel McDonnells debut as a Professional after just being granted his Professional licence by Triathlon Australia.

"As exciting as the men's and women's Pro fields with the spotlight on the first day of the festival being shone on the juniors as they race on Saturday in Under 8's, Under 10's and 11 years plus.

“It’s not too late to nominate so I encourage all juniors keen to try the sport of triathlon and jump on to our website and enrol.

"The club are humbled to be able to announce a new award, the Stirling Edwards-Bland Perpetual Junior Encouragement Award Trophy in memory of a local young athlete whose life was tragically cut short in a car accident last year.

Kimpton said events like the Coral Sea Resort Airlie Beach Triathlon Festival do not happen without amazing support from sponsors and volunteers.

"They say it takes a village to raise a child and that is also true when staging such a huge weekend of triathlon racing.

"l want to extend our sincerest thanks to all sponsors tor their support and the club looks forward to continuing this partnership in the future and exploring now opportunities to collaborate and grow together.

"The club are still seeking volunteers so whether you are a seasoned volunteer or a newbie, your contribution will make a meaningful impact on our event and help create a memorable experience for all involved," Kimpton said.

"There are a variety of roles available, including registration, water safety positions, first aid tent, course marshalling, guidance marshals, water stations and transition area support.

"Volunteers are the backbone of any event, and it is a wonderful opportunity to connect with others and give back to our community.

"It is only with the support of our amazing volunteers that we can create an 6vent that showcases the very best of Airlie Beach.

"If anyone is interested in joining our team volunteers, I encourage you to contact our dedicated volunteer coordinator Val Kimpton, on 0438 717 819.

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Netherlands superstar Lotte Wilms will be joining in the female professional field. Photo credit: Triathlon Today

A spotlight on the first day of the festival will be shone on the juniors as they race. Photo supplied

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Whitsunday Sea Eagles hosted AFLQ Pride Round at home Saturday with some fantastic clashes against North Mackay Saints in the changing wet and windy conditions.

Sea Eagles Senior Men took on ladder leaders North Mackay Saints for a tough on field battle in trying conditions.

Both teams adapted quickly in a fast-moving game that saw Sea Eagles take command when they had the wind advantage.

Saints made a hearty come back in the last quarter coming within five points of the Sea Eagles however a late goal from Leigh Sartori capped off some good work from the midfield to hold the Saints at bay 56 – 45 until the final siren.

Sea Eagles Senior Women were pumped to take on top of the ladder Saints in Pride Round looking the part with colourful guernseys supplied by the Club to symbolise inclusion for all in the great sport of AFL.

Sea Eagles pushed the Saints all day however were outgunned 7 – 57.

Game of the day went to Sea Eagles Under 17s taking on Saints in a much-anticipated top of the table clash.

After being narrowly beaten in their last encounter Sea Eagles were keen to put in a good performance in a hot start.

It proved an even contest with the lead changing hands multiple times.

The closing stages of the final quarter saw Sea Eagles display tremendous heart to repel the North Mackay attacks until the final siren rang out with Sea Eagles victorious by the narrowest of margins 53 – 52 and retaining the top spot.

Sea Eagles Under 14s took on a strong North Mackay Saints in what was always going to be a tough battle losing out 3 – 63.

In the return of Under 12s the young Sea Eagles displayed a commanding performance to post a convincing win 59 – 4.

In the second term Sea Eagles turned it on and took a commanding lead into the second half to finish strong.

This Saturday 22nd July sees all five Whitsunday Sea Eagles teams celebrate Sponsor and Volunteer Appreciation Day at home with Juniors from 9:15am, 1:50pm Senior Women, 3:20pm Senior Men.

Contributed with thanks to the Whitsunday Sea Eagles.

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Senior Men - Billy Galpin Best on Ground for the day

U17 - Jacob Dewis under pressure from the Saints

Senior Women Pride Round guernseys. Photo Credit: Cody Fowler

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