City has finished the Australian Championships with an outstanding six gold medals, five silver and seven bronze - the second best result in our history.
The club opened its medal account on Tuesday, the first day of competition, when Josh Walker took the bronze in the Under 19 Men's Champion Lifesaver.
Other successful 2km runners were Andrew Mosel (Open Men's) and Aaron Minervini (Under 17 Men's), who each won silver medals.
Later on Thursday morning, the Under 19 Men's Surf Team of David Graham, Tom Dowling, Josh Walker and Jordan Haynes-Love finished in second place
On Thursday afternoon, the Open Women's Surf Team claimed the gold medal that Northcliffe were seeking for their fifth time in a row. The team of Melissa Benson, Candice Falzon, Alicia Marriott and Michelle Graham crossed the line 1st, 4th, 5th and (roughly) 18th for the win.
Barely half an hour later, Alicia and Candice teamed up with Lara Taylor in the Open Women's Board Relay. Outstanding paddles from all three girls led to another gold for City.
In between those two golds, the Under 19 Women's Surf Team final was held, and the City team of Jade Whitehead, Shinade Whitehead, Michelle Graham and Estelle Doney picked up the bronze medal.
Shortly afterwards the girls hit the water again in the Rescue Tube Rescue races and were in the medals again, the Open team of Melissa Benson, Candice Falzon, Lara Taylor and Lucy Johnston coming in second.
Friday is a traditionally quiet day for medals, with most arenas concentrating on completing preliminary rounds of the big events for the weekend. However, up at Trigg the board riding was underway and Zach Haynes-Love won the club's first ever medal in this arena with a bronze in the Under 15 Men's competition.
Gabby Murphy dives for gold
Sunday belonged to recently-named Australian Coach of the Year Leigh Buchan's beach squad. With all the sprint and relay finals held early Sunday morning, City were in just about everything. Gabby Murphy won a bronze medal in the Under 15 Women's Beach Sprint, followed shortly after by a silver to Montana Ardon in the Under 17 event.
After a year where not much went right, Dean Scarff was again in the Open Men's Beach Sprint final and medalled for the third time in a row, finishing in third place.
The relays began with the Under 15's, where the team of Chantelle Green, Grace Holmes, Gabby Murphy and Clancy Bradshaw finished in third place. The Under 17 team - Montana Ardon, Amy Murphy, Kelsey Golding and Jess Hawkins - won the gold convincingly, as did the Under 19's Meaghan Slattery, Rachel Kelly, Montana Ardon and Gabby Murphy (well supported by Kelsey Golding and Jess Hawkins who ran the heats).
While City was also well-represented across the water events on Sunday, we didn't crack the podium again despite some very tight finishes.
The club finished fifth overall in the pointscore, and our medal tally for 2009 lies second only to that of 2005.
Results
| Gold | Open Women's 2km Beach Run - Alison O'Toole
Open Women's Surf Team - Melissa Benson, Candice Falzon, Alicia Marriott, Michelle Graham Open Women's Board Relay - Alicia Marriott, Candice Falzon, Lara Taylor Under 19 Women's Beach Relay - Meaghan Slattery, Rachel Kelly, Montana Ardon, Gabrielle Murphy Under 17 Women's Beach Relay - Montana Ardon, Amy Murphy, Kelsey Golding, Jess Hawkins Under 15 Women's Beach Flags - Gabrielle Murphy |
| Silver | Open Men's 2km Beach Run - Andrew Mosel
Open Women's Rescue Tube Rescue - Melissa Benson, Candice Falzon, Lara Taylor, Lucy Johnston Under 19 Men's Surf Team - David Graham, Tom Dowling, Josh Walker, Jordan Haynes-Love Under 17 Women's Beach Sprint - Montana Ardon Under 17 Men's 2km Beach Run - Aaron Minervini |
| Bronze | Open Men's Beach Sprint - Dean Scarff
Under 19 Men's Champion Lifesaver - Josh Walker Under 19 Women's Surf Team - Jade Whitehead, Shinade Whitehead, Michelle Graham, Estelle Doney Under 17 Women's Beach Flags - Amy Murphy Under 15 Men's Surf Board Riding - Zach Haynes-Love Under 15 Women's Beach Sprint - Gabrielle Murphy Under 15 Women's Beach Relay - Chantelle Green, Grace Holmes, Gabrielle Murphy, Clancy Bradshaw |
| Fourth | Open Men's Surf Race - James Cohen
Open Men's Board Race - Andrew Mosel Open Patrol Competition - Kim Lovett, Craig Simmonds, Eoghan McKenna, Jess Cohen, Josh Walker, Jesse George Open Men's Rescue Tube Rescue - James Cohen, Chris Timms, Craig Simmonds, Shane Buchan Under 19 Men's Surf Race - David Graham Under 19 Men's Rescue Tube Rescue - Jeremy Doney, Tom Dowling, Josh Walker, David Graham Under 19 Women's Rescue Tube Rescue - Phoebe George, Michelle Graham, Shinade Whitehead, Kia Walker |
| Fifth | Under 19 Women's Board Rescue - Shinade Whitehead, Jade Whitehead
Under 17 Women's 2km Beach Run - Phoebe George Under 15 First Aid - Honor Lane, Chantelle Green Under 15 Men's Board Rescue - Zak Walker, Will Dwyer |
| Sixth | Under 19 Men's Board Race - David Graham
Under 19 Women's Beach Sprint - Meaghan Slattery Under 19 Women's Beach Flags - Adie Hinkes Under 17 First Aid - Roshann Davies, Mundawae Sanderson-Green |
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[Australian Championships History]
Video
| Open Women's Surf Team
Melissa Benson, Candice Falzon, Alicia Marriott, Michelle Graham |
Open Women's Board Relay
Alicia Marriott, Candice Falzon, Lara Taylor |
Under 15 Men's Board Rescue
Zak Walker, Will Dwyer |
| Under 15 Women's Beach Flags
Gabby Murphy |
Under 19 Women's Board Race
Shinade Whitehead |
Open Men's Board Race
Andrew Mosel |
| Under 15 Women's Beach Relay
Chantelle Green, Grace Holmes, Gabrielle Murphy, Clancy Bradshaw |
Under 17 Women's Beach Flags
Amy Murphy |
Under 17 Women's Beach Relay
Montana Ardon, Amy Murphy, Kelsey Golding, Jess Hawkins |
| Under 19 Ironman
David Graham |
Under 19 Women's Beach Relay
Meaghan Slattery, Rachel Kelly, Montana Ardon, Gabrielle Murphy |
Under 19 Women's Surf Team heat
Jade Whitehead, Shinade Whitehead, Michelle Graham, Estelle Doney |
| Under 19 Women's Surf Team final
Jade Whitehead, Shinade Whitehead, Michelle Graham, Estelle Doney |
Open Men's Beach Sprint
Dean Scarff |
Open Men's Surf Race
James Cohen |
| Open Ironwoman - semifinal 1
Candice Falzon |
Open Ironwoman - semifinal 2
Alicia Marriott |
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