Port Macquarie outrigger paddlers have received a boost on the eve of the 2011/12 season with the release of point score results from last summer.
The Port Macquarie Maroro Club, which collected the NSW Open Mixed State title during the season, was confirmed as the leading NSW club across the summer in both the Open Mixed Long Course and Open Women’s Short Course categories.
Demonstrating the club’s depth, Port Macquarie also claimed second and eighth positions in the Open Mixed point score.
Head coach Mick Wilson said the result was a credit to the consistency of effort among all paddlers at the club last season.
“The point score is essentially a tally of the results throughout the season and therefore rewards both participation and achievement at the various regattas held across the summer,” he said.
“Our club consistently entered up to three open teams in the Mixed Long Course races and, with a number of podium finishes for our top two crews, we are thrilled to have landed the ‘quinella’ in this division, while also filling three of the top 10 places.
“The Open Women’s first placing is another outstanding result and, along with our first ever national gold medal in the Short Course Open Mixed category, as well as silver medals at the national titles and Gold Coast Cup, we can reflect very proudly on what was clearly our most successful season.”
Wilson said the flipside to the result was the expectation of further improvement in 2011/12.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge to reproduce that performance this season, let alone better it, but that’s what we are determined to do,” he said.
“A number of paddlers have been training over winter, with several kicking off their pre-season at the recent Three Rivers event.
“We also have a crew travelling to compete in the Cook Islands next month so the hunger appears to be there to get back into training and launch another assault on the NSW zone.”
Wilson said formal training for the new season commenced last Saturday,
September 24.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the sport should contact Garth Norris on 0418 537 709.
