Weekly Results (ending 5th November)

30th October – 4 Table Howell Green Points

1st – David Ting and Eric Goodchild

2nd – Geoff Cowan and Sandy Patterson

3rd – Edward Kliese and Diane Stokes

31st October 2023 – 4 Table Howell Green Points

1st – Eric Goodchild and Noel Bugeia

2nd – Debra Goodchild and Ian Cruickshank

3rd – Marilin Robins and Faye Wright

31st October – Australia-Wide Restricted Pairs 8 Table Mitchell Green Points

North/South

1st - Carmel Brown and Mary Rose Ramsden

2nd - Joy Block and Diane Stokes

3rd - Susan Wright and Helen van den Broek

East/West

1st - Ian Cruickshank and Mary Cruickshank

2nd - Louise Renton and Griffin Bancroft

3rd - Geoff Cowan and Sandy Patterson

1st November 2023 – 9 Table Mitchell Green Points

North/South

1st - Frances Brown and Alan Brown

2nd - Ros Scott and Jan Harris

3rd - Janelle Conroy and Noel Bugeia

East/West

1st - Monica Darley and Sandy Patterson

2nd - Joy Robinson and Robert Carless

3rd - Diane Holewa and Max Holewa

2nd November – 4 Table Howell Green Points

1st  - Tex Sheedy and Janelle Conroy

2nd - Susan Ross and Jan Harris

3rd – Frances Brown and Ann Whitmore

3rd November 2023 – 9 Table Mitchell Green Points

North/South

1st – Diane Cox and Christine Nice

2nd – Helen van den Broek and Don Poole

3rd – Tex Sheedy and Noel Bugeia

East/West

1st – Julie O’Neill and Ann Whitmore

2nd – Janelle Conroy and Pamela Finger

3rd – Diane Stokes and Marie McGuire

4th November – 10 Table Mitchell Green Points

North/South

1st - Max Holewa and Diane Holewa

2nd – Susan Wright and Lorna Shuttlewood

3rd - Joy Brunette and Helen van den Broek

East/West

1st – Janet Hansen and Diane Morgan

2nd - Ken Seaniger and Joy Robinson

3rd - Tex Sheedy and Diane Cox

Contributed by Robert Carless

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Francie Brown, winner of the President's Shield with her partners Janelle Conroy, Alan Brown and Anne Lutz

Photo supplied

The Mackay Cutters have secured a high-quality signing for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with former NRL and Super League player Kenny Edwards.

Edwards is a skilful back-rower who has played 70 games for the Parramatta Eels, before heading to the UK Super League where he played a further 116 games for Catalans Dragons, Huddersfield Giants and the Castleford Tigers.

His signature to the Cutters, along with Tongan international centre Mahe Fonua and playmaker Riley Dean is set to make a strong impact on the club for the upcoming seasons.

Edwards brings an abundance of experience to the team, with a connection stemming back to his time with the Huddersfield Giants, where current head of football, Kim Williams was the Academy coach.

Williams mentioned how necessary it is to get a senior leader into the playing group, which he believes is a role that Edwards is determined to fill.

The 34-year-old has been searching for an opportunity to move back to Australia, and with a keen eye on developing the next generation, Edwards is ready to make an impact on the field himself.

His experience and leadership will be highly valued amongst the Cutters and the team looks forward to welcoming him into the 2024 NRL season.

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A first look at Kenny Edwards donning the colours for Mackay Cutters

Photo credit: Mackay Cutters

The boys of Bowen Ballerz have been busy prepping themselves for the trip of a lifetime.

Taking the time to perfect their skills, tighten their friendships and hone their sportsmanship, the boys of the Under 12s Bowen State School Basketball Team will be heading to Melbourne in January 2024, to be a part of the Eltham Dandenong Junior Basketball Tournament.

The inception of the team started earlier this year, with Leigh Dunn, Bowen State School teacher and now basketball coach realising that students wanted to play basketball, but the school didn’t have a team.

“We just wanted to give them the opportunity to trial and do something special from the start,” Leigh explained.

“I have a friend in Melbourne who suggested we go to Melbourne and play in the Eltham Dandenong Junior Basketball Tournament. It’s one of the biggest tournaments in Australia and it’s a great opportunity for the kids.”

For most of the boys on the team, basketball is their summer sport, playing rugby league in the cooler months.

For Declan Gaffney, a bit of a natural born player, he is “very excited” to participate in the tournament.

“I started playing and just got better and better,” he said.

Levi Nicol is “10 out of 10 excited” for the tournament, but he’s more excited to go surfing in Melbourne.

Bayley Bates just wanted to get involved and is looking forward to playing against other youth teams from across Australia.

“We will travel as a team to Melbourne. This will be the first time some of the boys have been on a plane so it’s very exciting,” Leigh explained.

The boys will also have two days outside of the tournament to experience Melbourne, visit key sites and watch an NBL game. Leigh has established a modest Go Fund Me page, to aid in the financial cost of this trip.

Scan the QR Code to donate to the boys’ trip.

Over the weekend, 18 Cannons travelled to Townsville to compete in Gardens Open LC Preparation Meet. Coaches, Ken Crittenden and Mark Erickson were very proud of all the swimmers and their achievements.  

The highlights include medals in the relay swims and swimmers achieving PBs, state or national qualifying times. The Cannons’ 8 – 11 year Male 200m Freestyle team came 3rd, the Male 11 year and over 200m Freestyle team came 2nd  and the Mixed 11 year and over Medley team came 2nd.  

Other highlights include: Jacob Bell swimming a cracking time in his 200m Butterfly, taking 14.81s off his previous best and earning a silver medal. Eloise Chegwidden won all her events and achieve A grade times. Ehsan Helou swam PBs in all his events.  

Ehsan and teammates, Noah Maltby and Remy Hedges all swam impressive 50m and 200m Breaststroke times. Ehsan’s sister, Anisa medaled in three individual events. Ehsan, Anisa and Remy have achieved state qualifying times. Ehsan has also achieved national qualifying times.    

Don Algie had a very successful Sunday, swimming 5PBs and taking out a gold medal for his 100m Breaststroke. Matilda Nicholes and Isaac Pisaniello swam PBs and won medals for the Backstroke events. Jax Clayworth, Harris Delac and Tora Delac swam PBs and won medals for most of their events.  

Mae Carter-Attwood, Zane Clayworth, Isabella Pisaniello also performed extremely well and swam personal best times. Isabella won a bronze medal for her 100m Butterfly which she swam in a time of 1.26.84. Eric Mulliss swam an excellent 50m Freestyle in 45.39sec. Addie Sander was super excited with her state qualifying time of 50.32sec in the 50m Breaststroke (a 4.52sec PB). Holly Perrin thoroughly enjoyed all events especially the 200m Medley Relay.  

Congratulations to all the swimmers!  A big thank you to all the wonderful parents for assisting with officiating and managing the team.  

Contributed with thanks to Raylene Rasmussen.

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200m 8 - 11 year Freestyle Relay team – Harris, Eric, Jax and Don

Cannons team photo

Mixed Medley Relay team with silver medals – Noah, Jacob, Holly and Anisa

Silver medal relay team 200m Freestyle male team – Isaac, Noah, Ehsan and Jacob

On Tuesday afternoon Col Moms as skipper with Michael Jacometti at second and Tess Walker at lead made a nail biting one point victory over the rest of the field and it was Tess Walker who took home the prestigious Health Hub award as well.

On Wednesday afternoon Jackpot Bowls saw the team of skipper John Askew, ably assisted by John Brown going through a purple patch with great bowling and Eric Barnard at lead beat all comers with a fantastic team performance whilst Merve Stewart took home the prestigious Health Hub award.

Whilst this was happening the mixed triples final was being held. Graham Cowling as skipper ably assisted by lead Keith Bates and Lyn Graham took a well-deserved victory.

Saturday morning Scroungers also saw a small field of very talented players arrive with first round winners Andy McDougall, Col Morris and Warren Mills fight out the final with Andy McDougall in superb form taking out the win again with John Askew tipping out Mark Mawson to win the Group B match.

Sunday afternoon Social bowls also saw some fantastic performances with Graham Cowling his team of lead Paul Osborne and John Brown at second with a comfortable win over the rest of the field, whilst Karen Jenson took home the prestigious Health Hub award.

Contributed with thanks to Mark Mawson.

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Mixed triples champions Keith Bates, Lyn Graham, and Graham Cowling. Photo supplied

The weather is heating up as we come towards the end of the year's play.

On Wednesday in Social bowls Lee King, Philip Brown and Heather Brown defeated John Anderson, Philip Brown and Mike Harrison 23 - 16; Arthur Griffith, Bruce Uhe and Peter Lawton defeated Jim Bownds, Pat Bownds and Sandy Daffara 20 - 17.

On Sunday in social bowls John Anderson and Bruce Uhe defeated Lee King and Heather Brown 25 - 24; Philip Brown, Barry Zillmann and Sandy Daffara defeated Arthur Griffith, Barry Zillmann and Mike Harrison 21 - 17.

We have our Memorial Day Carnival coming up on Saturday, November 11. This is always a great day of fabulous competition where we honour those who have contributed to the character of the club through their past membership. Wilmar Sugar are once again our major sponsor and we thank them for their continued support of this event.

The time for introducing summertime hours is approaching. From Wednesday November 15, Social Bowls will begin with a 2.30pm start. We will have afternoon tea before going out on the green and then will play straight through. Names in by 2.15pm please. These summertime hours will apply to both Wednesday and Sunday Social bowls.

Reminder that Membership Affiliation Fees are due at the end of this month.

Contributed with thanks to Heather Brown.

On Wednesday, men, and ladies played a single stroke event for the November midweek monthly medals sponsored by Bowen Golf Club.  

Ladies’ winner was Janice Bates 66 nett, runner up on a countback Elona Lynch 67nett.  

Men’s winner on a countback Robert Byles 64 nett, runner up Kevin Clark 64 nett.

On Saturday we played a single stroke event for the November Monthly medals sponsored by QB Motor Hotel and Bowen Golf club.

Ladies’ winner was Jo Kukura 69 nett, 2nd on a countback Ruth Dunn 70 nett, 3rd Tracey Cousemacker 70 nett.  

Men’s winner was Jeff Day 68 nett, 2nd on a countback Marcus Yasso 69 nett, 3rd Allan Cooper 69 nett.  

Pin shots to Lester Keller, Paul Burgis, Paul Martin, Wayne Sheahan, Brad Fleet, Lisa Raisbeck, Robyn Slade, Bonnie Kohlhase, Wendy Tracey.

COMING UP

This weekend is a single stableford for most and Medal of Medals for those that qualified throughout the year.  

Joker is worth $5400.  

Contributed with thanks to Grace Nott.

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November Monthly medal winners – Jo Kukura and Jeff Day. Photo supplied

Tuesday's stableford saw Jalen Jarvis with a very tidy 44 pts win by four shots from Peter Lindsay with Leanne Alexander on 38 pts and Tiina Randmae on 37 pts the leading ladies.

NTP’s were won by: Brian Smith, Tiina Randmae and Brad Fleet

The PD Law Monthly Medal on Wednesday saw Brenda Cowan with a sensational 58 beat Robyn Whitham on 67. NTP’s were won by Toni Clauss, Brenda Cowan, Trish McNeill and Rehab Hull.

Thursday's Venue Smart Monthly Medal saw Rob Stanley shoot 2 under par to take out the A grade division with 63 nett from Warren Deighton on 67nett. Chris Pham had a great score of 62 to win the B division from Jim Sherrington with 63. Pin shots went to Warren Deighton, Adam Davies, Rob Stanley and Jacob Nightingale.

A large group of Golf Club sponsors treated their colleagues to food, beverages and golf on Friday afternoon with Ron Jamieson's group being declared the winners.

The Met competition was won by Ross Tong on 21 from Shane Van Poelgeest with Chris Pirlo winning the pin shot.

Saturday 93 players enjoyed the green fairways in the RGH Monthly Medal that saw Tony Chapple streets ahead in the men's field with a nett 61 and thereby win the C grade nett and gross, with John Dodds runner up on 67nett.

Scott Clarke with 68 won the A grade nett by one shot from David O'Connor with Ryan Wilkes shooting 3 under par for the gross prize. With 65nett, Andrew Mau won the B grade by three shots from Rod Wecker who also won the gross prize. Pins went to Rob Stanley, Scott Dwyer, David O’Connor, and Ryan Wilkes.

Marlene Gray with 66 nett won the ladies' division by 7 shots from Tiina Randmae. Brenda and Jill Farinelli won the pin shots.

Sunday's KJC Diesel Monthly Medal male winners were David Hoy from Ben Doer on 67nett, while Peta Thomas with 68 nett beat Pamela Casey by one shot. Pins went to Ryan Wilkes x 3, Anna Winterbourn, Tiina Randmae and Ben Doer.

Contributed with thanks to the Proserpine Golf Pro Shop.

It was a very warm day on Prossie golf course last Sunday when 21 Whitsunday Golf Club players contested the November Monthly Medals and least putts, the last chance to qualify for the Medal of Medals for 2023. We will welcome our returning members who have been overseas to contest the WGC championships, to be played over the next two Sundays.

So the winners for the Nov MM were :

LADIES A GRADE:

Winner: Penny Wardroper with a very nice 70 nett

Runner-up: Pauline Redpath with 71

Longest Drive: Robyn Whitham

LADIES B GRADE:

Winner: Pam Casey with an even nicer 69 nett

Runner-up: Linda Wardroper with 70

Longest Drive: Joanne Moynihan

MEN’S A GRADE:

Winner: Darren Reynolds with 70 nett

Runner-up: Clay Coles with 74

Longest Drive: Jason Bourke

MEN’S B GRADE

Winner: David Hoy with an outstanding 67 nett

Runner-up: Leigh Jones with 69 - a winning score on any other day

Longest Drive: David Hoy

NTPs:

For the ladies: Penny Wardroper, Pam Casey and Linda Wardroper

For the men: Clay Coles, Ron Jamieson and Darren Reynolds

LEAST PUTTS: Well done to Linda Wardroper and Wilf Herweg.

NAGAs: The honours went to Robyn Whitham and George Meharry, each will enjoy a drink, courtesy of Aaron and Tracy Watts.

NEXT WEEK: 12/11 will be Round 1 of the WGC Club Championships, Round 2 will be the following week 19/11, to be followed by Medal of Medals 2023 on the 26/11.

Regardless of what grade you were in when you won your MM, you will be playing in the grade relevant to your handicap on the day of MOM.

Pauline will be sending out the list of eligible players for the 2023 MOM, the rest of the players will compete in the stroke competition as normal.

The December MM/Putts will be played on 5/12 which will carry forward to the MOM for 2024.    

So, get your names in early to play between 7 and 8 am so we can play as a block.

Contributed with thanks to Tiina Randmae.

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L> R :  Pam Casey (B grade ladies’ winner), Darren Reynolds (A grade men’s winner), Penny Wardroper ( A grade ladies’ winner) and David Hoy ( B grade men’s winner).

This week 9-hole stableford saw Jack Hayes-Williams in first place on 26 pts, second place with 23 pts c/b Jake Cremor and third place with a 23 pt c/b Rob Lodders.

Fridays 9-hole stableford saw David Wallace take first place with 23 pts, second with 21 pts c/b Scott Hayes -Williams and third place with 21 pt c/b Kev Franke.

Sundays 18-hole stableford was a great turn out and even better for our first-place winner, who not only won by 48 pts but scored a hole in one on the 3rd hole, great job Alan Clinch. Second place with 43 pts c/b David Wallace and third place with 43 pts c/b Dean Barnard. Nearest the pin was Dean Barnard.

This Sunday will be skins 18-hole tee off 9 am – 10am.

Contributed with thanks to Kate Cross.

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Pictured: Alan Clinch

It was a very warm day on Prossie golf course last Sunday when 21 Whitsunday Golf Club players contested the November Monthly Medals and least putts, the last chance to qualify for the Medal of Medals for 2023. We will welcome our returning members who have been overseas to contest the WGC championships, to be played over the next 2 Sundays.

So the winners for the Nov MM were :

LADIES A GRADE :

Winner : Penny Wardroper with a very nice 70 nett

Runner-up : Pauline Redpath with 71

Longest Drive : Robyn Whitham

LADIES B GRADE :

Winner : Pam Casey with an even nicer 69 nett

Runner-up : Linda Wardroper with 70

Longest Drive : Joanne Moynihan

MEN’S A GRADE :

Winner : Darren Reynolds with 70 nett

Runner-up : Clay Coles with 74

Longest Drive : Jason Bourke

MEN’S B GRADE

Winner : David Hoy with an outstanding 67 nett

Runner-up : Leigh Jones with 69 - a winning score on any other day

Longest Drive : David Hoy

NTPs :

For the ladies : Penny Wardroper, Pam Casey and Linda Wardroper

For the men : Clay Coles, Ron Jamieson and Darren Reynolds

LEAST PUTTS : well done to Linda Wardroper and Wilf Herweg.

NAGAs : the honours went to Robyn Whitham and George Meharry, each will enjoy a drink, courtesy of Aaron and Tracy Watts.

RAFFLE : Pam Casey won the meat tray raffle, a winning day for Pam.

NEXT WEEK : 12/11 will be Round 1 of the WGC Club Championships, Round 2 will be the following week 19/11, to be followed by Medal of Medals 2023 on the 26/11.

Regardless of what grade you were in when you won your MM, you will be playing in the grade relevant to your handicap on the day of MOM.

Pauline will be sending out the list of eligible players for the 2023 MOM, the rest of the players will compete in the stroke competition as normal.

The December MM/Putts will be played on 5/12 which will carry forward to the MOM for 2024.    

So, get your names in early to play between 7 and 8 am so we can play as a block.

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L> R :  Pam Casey (B grade ladies’ winner), Darren Reynolds (A grade men’s winner), Penny Wardroper ( A grade ladies’ winner) and David Hoy ( B grade men’s winner).

Whitsunday Touch is one of only 22 touch football clubs from across Australia to be granted a portion of $100,000 grant pool, gifted from meal delivery service, DoorDash, as part of their community minded Footy Dash program.

A partnership between DoorDash and Touch Football Australia, Footy Cash is an annual grant-based program to help fund community touch footy clubs across Australia.

Whitsunday Touch put forward an application for funding months ago, and recently were informed of the club’s success.

“The application process was simple,” President of Whitsunday Touch, Alita DeBrincat explained.

“We’ve been working hard to build our referees and our juniors to take up referee positions.”

Whitsunday Touch was awarded $3,566, which was been allocated for a new 6x3 metre branded marquee, 12 referee uniforms and nine Level 1 referee courses.

“Our juniors have been quick to take up referee training. This funding allows us to keep promoting the junior referee training, build our club, and share that footy is fun. It’s just awesome.”

Currently, Whitsunday Touch has 220 enrolled players, with the youngest being 8 years old in the family grade competitions, all the way to A Grade competition.

“Our senior competition starts at 13 years old, so bringing in the family grade allows players from years 8 to play with their parents,” Alita explained.

“We’re trying to promote that touch is one of the only sports you can play with your entire family.”

The club has also been busy promoting their female junior players, encouraging female youth to get involved in the sport.

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Whitsunday Touch has been granted a portion of funding to promote Junior Referees. Photo supplied

Mackay’s emerging cricket all-rounder Jack Law has been named Player of the North Queensland Cricket Alliance Under 15 Championships.

The talented Brothers junior produced stand out performances with bat and ball to help the Mackay-Whitsunday team finish second overall at the recent representative carnival staged at Harrup Park.

All conquering North Queensland claimed the title, winning all three matches with Townsville young gun Hunter Brischetto leading the way.

Playing on his home turf, the promising Law topped the run-scoring with knocks of 52, 46 and 104 - ahead of the rising Brischetto (104 retired and 53 retired) and Mackay-Whitsunday teammate Corey Stroud (40 and 101 not out).

Under the guidance of coach Shane Dunn and manager Ian Ballantyne, the Mackay-Whitsunday X1 suffered a first up loss to North Queensland before posting victories over Central Queensland and Far North.

A highlight for Law was cracking a magnificent 104 in the final round against Far North where he faced 95 balls and smashed four sixes and twelve boundaries.

Selectors will name rep squads in coming weeks to compete at the Stage 2 State Challenge in Mackay during December.

Round 1: NORTH QUEENSLAND 8-217 (Hunter Brischetto 53 retired, Henry Jesberg 38, Jason Caswell 26, Zac Hayes 24, Lachlan Petterson 20, Isaac Talbot 17 not out, Brayden Manttan 3-16, Jack Law 2-26) d MACKAY-WHITSUNDAY 7-155 (J Law 52, Corey Stroud 40, H Brischetto 3-8).

Round 2: MACKAY-WHITSUNDAY 3-231 (C Stroud 101 not out, J Law 46, Cooper Boyce 24, Ishan Rana 23 not out) d CENTRAL QUEENSLAND 6-228 (Henry Lau 56 not out, John Mulville 52, Axel Amos 30, Riley Roser 24, Connor Muller 3-34, C Stroud 2-45).

Round 3: MACKAY-WHITSUNDAY 8-218 (J Law 104, I Rana 39, Ayden Loader 38, Kade Corby 4-34, Harvey Rees 2-22) d FAR NORTH 8-166 (Kalan Wilson 85, Archie Ferguson 44, J Law 2-16, I Rana 2-17, Donovan Pettiford 2-22, Zac Pace 2-37).

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Mackay junior representative cricketer Jack Law receives his Player of the North Queensland Cricket Alliance Under 15 Championships award from Queensland Cricket’s Luke Kennedy

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In an exciting development, the Mackay Cutters have secured a significant two-year affiliate club agreement with the North Queensland Cowboys. This partnership is set to bolster the pathway from Hostplus Cup and BMD competitions to the coveted NRL and NRLW, providing our region's budding talents with a clear route to the top.

This agreement will see half of the Cowboys NRL squad allocated to the Cutters, with players not selected to play NRL will be eligible to play for the Cutters.

Cutters Head Coach Michael Comerford and his staff will visit The Hutchinson Builders Centre to shadow Todd Payten and his coaching staff in the pre-season and will receive ongoing coach and high-performance staff development opportunities.

The Cutters will also play one home game at Queensland Country Bank Stadium as a curtain raiser to a Cowboys NRL game.

“The Cutters have been professional and positive throughout this entire process and their focus has never wavered from achieving an outcome in the best interests of both clubs,” Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel said.

“We are two organisations who pride ourselves on developing and nurturing local talent, which is why we are delighted to reach this agreement.”

Cowboys General Manager of Football Micheal Luck said Mackay has been a crucially important region to the Cowboys during the club’s existence.

“Mackay is a rich rugby league region with a proud history and we are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Cutters,” he said.

“The players who come to the Cowboys from the Mackay region have historically and importantly been good people on top of being talented players.

“Our system is filled with talent from the Mackay region, from Reuben Cotter and Tom Dearden at NRL level, through to two of our most exciting juniors in Jaxon Purdue and Xavier Kerrisk as well as Emma Manzelmann and Jasmine Peters at NRLW level.”

Mackay Cutters CEO Mitch Cook spoke of his appreciation for the pathway this agreement creates for locals, stating “We are excited to continue our affiliation with the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys, which has been a long-standing partnership since 2008.

“We look forward to welcoming back Cowboys allocated players next season and are appreciative of the pathway this affiliation provides our region."

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Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel and Mackay Cutters CEO Mitch Cook. Photo supplied: Mackay Cutters

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When schoolboy volleyball rookies Joshua Venz and Tage Guzowski took to the court for the first time earlier this year, they didn’t envisage the boom times ahead.

The promising duo were identified as natural talents when St Patrick’s College assembled a squad for the local Mackay Secondary Schools Volleyball competition.

With passing hitter Venz and middle blocker Guzowski leading the way, the raw-boned St Patrick’s Open Boys team discovered their groove with skilful performances against more seasoned opponents.

Under the guidance of coach Stephen Mortimer and parent Dane Guzowski, the side proved a force to be reckoned with – charging all the way to 2023 premiership honours.

Coach Mortimer could see the potential in his line up as they chalked up five victories in the preliminary rounds – losing just the one fixture to Mackay State High.

Having stumbled on a winning formula, the team combined effectively on court as they gathered momentum in the run home to the finals.

“The boys were keen to learn about volleyball and quickly adapted to the sport with their strong work ethic and commitment to training,” a proud Mortimer stated.

“They hit their straps just before the finals and produced a powerhouse finish to the season to bring home the Open Boys title” he added.

St Patrick’s toppled Pioneer State High in a semi-final then showed plenty of character in a pressure packed Grand Final to defeat Mackay Christian College by two sets to one.

The championship-winning Open Boys squad included Joshua Venz, Tage Guzowski, Jarvis Connor, Caleb Hocking, Alfie Johnston-Wanless, Logan Leisinger, Brendan McHutchon, Patrick Radunz, Ezra Shepherd, Jamon Smith, Jake Tanti and Kevin Varghese.

Just as impressive were the St Patrick’s Open Girls team coached by Rusty Van Zyl and Emma Karrasch who posted three victories before losing an epic semi-final against Mackay State High School.

The squad included Bonnie Archer, Lily Axiak, Lacey Blucher, Sophia Dela Torre, Cassandra Dixon, Cara Donnelly, Keara Ferrer, Tiani Mansfield, Trizia Mar, Star Matthews and Alyanna Valencia.

They struck up a slick combination and improved as the competition unfolded.

Coach Van Zyl praised the efforts of his rookie squad who stepped up to the challenge collectively and produced a courageous performance in their sudden-death semi-final against a more experienced Mackay State High line up.

“The girls were a delight to coach and adapted quickly through their dedication to training and willingness to learn the finer points of the game,” Rusty revealed.

“They gave it their best shot and stood up to be counted in the finals with a tremendous team showing,” he added.

Other schools featured were Mackay Adventist College, Mirani State High and Kutta Mulla Gorinna School.

Planning ahead for 2024, St Patrick’s have stepped up training as they look towards interschool competition in Terms 2 and 3 and competing in the Volleyball Queensland Schools Cup on the Gold Coast.

By Chris Karas

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St Patrick’s College Mackay’s triumphant Open Boys Volleyball squad that won this year’s Mackay Secondary Schools Championship title.

St Patrick’s College Open Girls Volleyball squad finished semi-finalists in the 2023 Mackay Secondary Schools competition

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