Margaret River Senior High School (WA) dominated Day 6 of the YETI Australian Junior Surfing Titles at Woonona Beach, securing wins in multiple divisions of the MR Shield.
The school claimed victory in the U19 Boys, U19 Girls, and U16 Girls MR Shield, showcasing their strength in Australian junior surfing.
Macklin Flynn, who teamed up with Okie Fraser to take out the U19 Boys MR Shield, said: “We wanted Okie to get a good start, and he did with a 6 and as he was paddling in, caught another wave. I wanted to get a good start as well, and I did and managed to better it with another wave. It feels amazing to win as a team.”
In the U19 Girls MR Shield, Kaleisha Launders and Ruby Berry represented Margaret River, while Leila Fraser and Olive Hardy competed for the school in the U16 Girls, securing wins for their division.
In the U16 Boys MR Shield, Palm Beach Currumbin State High School (QLD) won, with Jai Nield and Luca Martin executing a well-thought-out strategy. Nield said: “Our plan was to focus on critical sections and finish the waves off to get the score. It worked for both of us, and we’re stoked with the result.”
Contest Director Jeremy Barnett said: “Despite the rainy weather, competitors excelled in the conditions, with the surf holding up in the two-to-three foot range. Margaret River dominated the MR Shield, winning the U19 Boys , U19 Girls and the U16 Girls. Palm Beach Currumbin secured the U16 Boys title.”
Earlier in the day Round 4 heats in the U16 Men’s and Women’s, as well as the U14 Boys and Girls divisions, saw some excellent scores posted, with quarterfinalists decided in all remaining divisions.
Ocean Lancaster (Merewether, NSW) in the U16 Men, Lucy Darragh (Gerringong, NSW) in the U16 Women, and Jaggar Phillips (Narrabeen, NSW) in the U14 Boys all delivered impressive performances, each posting single wave scores of 8.13 (out of a possible 10).
“I just waited for that set, did two good turns, two snaps, and it felt good,” Jaggar Phillips said of his excellent ride. “I was just trying to be patient and get a few. It’s a bit like Narrabeen with the backwash and closing out a bit.”
Poppy O’Reilly (Bronte, NSW), who advanced to the quarterfinals in the U16 Women, said: “At the start, I went for like, five closeouts. I reset, 15 minutes in, and told myself I needed to start choosing good waves. It’s so different today, so you’ve got to adjust. I really would like to go to World Championship—not just for me, but for my community. They’ve been so supportive, so I want to show them that it’s been helping me out.”
Locana Cullen (Avalon, NSW) delivered the highest single wave score of the day, an impressive 8.38 (out of a possible 10) in the U14 Boys. “It was a good wave, and I did two snaps. Just going vert,” Cullen said. “It’s definitely a lot smaller than the last few days, but it’s still super fun and I get to see all my friends and surf heaps.”
Talia Tebb (Avoca Beach, NSW), who made it through to the U14 Girls quarterfinals after missing last year’s Australian Titles due to injury, said: “I got a 7.00 in my heat. I did two good snaps, which felt pretty good, and then a 6.63 with another two or three turns. It was good to get some waves on the board early as well. There were good lefts rolling down the break.”
Due to the rain, the MR Shield presentation will take place on Sunday at the completion of the event.
Final Results – MR Shield:
U19 Boys MR Shield
1st Margaret River SHS (WA) – 11.90
2nd St Josephs College – Geelong (VIC) – 8.73
3rd Illawarra Gramma School (NSW) – 7.71
4th Hobart College – Rose Bay District (TAS) – 4.00
U19 Girls MR Shield
1st Margaret River SHS (WA) – 10.80
2nd Palm Beach Currumbin SHS (QLD) – 9.78
3rd Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School (NSW) – 9.28
4th Dromana College (VIC) – 8.66
U16 Boys MR Shield
1st Palm Beach Currumbin SHS (QLD) – 10.71
2nd Illawarra Sports High (NSW) – 8.01
3rd St Mary Mackillop Catholic College (WA) – 7.83
4th Surf Coast Secondary College (VIC) – 7.63
U16 Girls MR Shield
1st Margaret River SHS (WA) – 10.88
2nd Kiama High School (NSW) – 9.18
3rd Sunshine Beach SHS (QLD)- 9.00
4th Cardijn College (SA) – 6.47
For the heat draw and full results, please visit LiveHeats.
About the YETI Australian Junior Surfing Titles:
The YETI Australian Junior Surfing Titles encompass individual divisions for U14-U18 junior men and women as well as a school surfing division for U16-U19 (MR Shield) junior men and women.
Champions in U16 and U18 men and women will earn a spot on the Irukandjis Team to represent Australia at the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship.
Every winner will also join a prestigious honour roll alongside current and former world Tour competitors, including Stephanie Gilmore, Molly Picklum, Sally Fitzgibbons, Laura Enever, Tyler Wright, Nikki Van Dijk, Coco Cairns, Owen Wright, Joel Parkinson, Mick Fanning and Reef Heazlewood.
This year, the finals action will be broadcast live on Surfing Australia’s YouTube channel. Watch live on:
Event website https://australianjuniorsurfingtitles.com.
The YETI Australian Junior Surfing Titles are proudly supported by YETI, Destination NSW, Destination Wollongong, Surfing NSW, BLACKROLL, Wollongong Surf Leisure Resort, KJ Scaffolding and Surfers for Climate.
Image Credits: Aaron Hughes
Locana Cullen posts the highest single wave score of the day. Credit: Aaron Hughes / Surfing Australia
Lucy Darragh in action at Woonona Beach. Credit: Aaron Hughes / Surfing Australia
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