Stress

Gippsland won the Country Junior District Swimming Championship recently.

Photo: Contributed

Gippy still the champs

A TEAM of 83 Gippsland Swimmers once again claimed the title of Country Junior District Champions at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Saturday, November 5. Historically, Gippsland were the champion district at the previously named ‘Country 7-10 Competition’ from 1978-1988. From 1989, the trophy was won by Ovens & Murray District for the next 4 years. Gippsland reclaimed the title in 1993 and has held onto it since. Gippsland coaches for the day were Caiden Gill (Traralgon), Lorrianne Mckenzie (South Gippsland), and Penny Georgeson (Traralgon), under the team management of Simon Turnbull (Sale) and Miriam Ripper (Sale). The Gippsland team consisted of 83 swimmers spread across the South Gippsland Bass (33), Warragul (9), Sale (10), Traralgon (22), East Gippsland (4), Moe (4), and Morwell (1). At the conclusion of the day, Gippsland were declared the overall champions with a total of 1302 points, led by captains Max Auteri (Traralgon) and Chloe Szkwarek (Traralgon), 202 points ahead of rival Ovens and Murray. During the meet, the team won eight individual events, came second on four occasions and placed third 14 times. The team also won five relay events, placed second four times and third twice.

Place-getters on Saturday, November 5: 11-Year Old-Girls: Rebecca Barclay (South Gippsland): 3rd 50-metre Backstroke; Gemma Cook (South Gippsland): 3rd 50m Backstroke, 3rd 50m Freestyle; Adelaide Ripper (Sale): 2nd 50m Breaststroke; Chloe Szkwarek (Traralgon): 1st 50m Butterfly, 2nd 50m Backstroke, 3rd 50m Freestyle. 11-Year-Old Boys: Max Auteri (Traralgon): 3rd 50m Backstroke; Rex Brocklesby (South Gippsland): 1st 50m Butterfly, 1st 50m Backstroke, 2nd 50m Freestyle; Harry Kurrle (Traralgon): 3rd 50m Butterfly. 10-Year-Old Girls: Mackenzie Gibbs (Sale): 3rd 50m Breaststroke; Elise Pratt (Traralgon): 3rd 50m Freestyle. 10-Year-Old Boys: Archie Smyth (South Gippsland): 1st 50m Backstroke, 1st 50m Freestyle; Jayden Tran (Morwell): 1st 50m Butterfly, 3rd 50m Breaststroke; Max Williamson (Sale): 1st 50m Breaststroke. 9-Year-Old Boys: Logan Gibson (Warragul): 3rd 50m Butterfly, 2nd 50m Breaststroke, 3rd 50m Freestyle; Ethan Lynch (South Gippsland): 3rd 50m Breaststroke. 8-Year-Old Girls: Pippa Biorci (Warragul): 3rd 50m Backstroke; Pippa Brideson (Sale): 3rd 50m Breaststroke. 8-Year-Old Boys: Hayden Rawson (Traralgon): 1st 50m Backstroke.

Keeping tennis award in the family

Stefan Bradley

LIKE grandfather, like grandson. Mark Elliman won the Sale Tennis Club Men’s Singles Championship on Sunday November 27, the same award won by his grandfather, the late Stan Elliman, in the 1950s. Mark, 40, who works as a property valuer and licensed real estate agent with his father John at John Elliman Real Estate, had his name etched on the W. F. McLoghlin Trophy, just as Stan did from 1953 to 1956, which Mark said was the best part about winning. “(Being) on the same honour board as my grandfather is very special,” Mark said. The moment was also an opportunity for John to write a touching tribute to his father, who died in 2005. “Stan won the Sale Tennis Club Men’s Singles Championship four years running from 19531956,” John wrote. “He was regarded as the best player in the district and throughout Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley. The slice on his backhand was often unplayable. “He was so highly regarded that he caught the eye of Harry Hopman, who was in charge of the Davis Cup Squad at the time. Harry came to Sale to discuss the possibility of Stan playing on the Satellite circuit in Melbourne and also to hit up in practice with the Davis Cup team members. “He declined as he didn’t want to leave Sale.” Sale Tennis Club president, Robin Lowe, said it

Sale Tennis Club championship winners Mark Elliman (Open Men’s Singles) and Jess Board (Open Women’s Singles). Photo: Robin Lowe. The late Stan Elliman. Stan won the Sale Tennis Club Men’s Singles Championship four years running from

1953-1956. Photo: Contributed

was exciting to see familiar family names coming through the club. “It’s nice when you can see that family history on the walls,” he said. Mark went up against 2021 Open Men’s semifinalist Marrien Van Den Heuvel for his big match winning in straight sets, despite pulling a gluteal muscle. “I twinged it at the start,” Mark said. “But I got through it. Now I’m on a slow recovery. “It’s a nice feeling to win (the Championship). I never thought it would happen. There’s always been one player better than me. “Next year will see a very strong field, with a couple of returning champions possibly coming back and young gun Sen Gould returning from Japan, so the pressure will be on.” Lowe said it wasn’t typical for tennis players to injure a glute muscle during a match, but Mark triumphed at the end. “(Mark) was looking to shorten the points a lot. He did lots of really good serves. And it worked.” Mark said his opponents would describe his tennis game as “annoyingly consistent”, with a good forehand. “I struggle against the bigger hitters. People used to say they get frustrated playing against me, because I never missed.” Mark said his grandfather Stan was a very good grass court player. “He just played a really pure game that was nice to watch,” Mark said.

Festival of women’s T20 cricket in Sale

ROUND 10 of the Sale Maffra Cricket Association Saputo Women’s T20 competition will see all matches played at Stephenson Park, Sale on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. The recently opened Wellington Shire Council Stephenson Park Complex, touted as a female-friendly facility, will be showcased when the inaugural competition descends on the venue to compete in the final round of 2022. The venue will see hosts Longford play Rosedale-Kilmany on the main oval, Stratford take on Bundalaguah on the George Wilson Memorial Oval, and Sale play Collegians on the Rotary Reserve. All matches start at 5.30pm; the Longford Cricket Club will be providing a meal and have the bar open to celebrate what has turned out to be a well-supported competition. “The six clubs have done a magnificent job getting this competition up and running,” competition organiser Greg Wrigglesworth said. “I would not have been able to do it without the support of these clubs. “I am very pleased with how much the teams have improved since the start of the season and how much they are enjoying themselves. “It has been played in such great spirit. I hope that this continues throughout the rest of the competition and for years to come.” The women will return on January 17 to finish the final five rounds before to a twoweek final series. All teams have had some wins in the competitive competition with Collegians, Bundalaguah and Sale currently the most successful from a win/loss ratio. The Sale-Maffra Cricket Association has been pleased with the support from the clubs and their supporters in the inaugural season.

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The day after tomorrow

Braithe Campbell and his Bayside Astronauts teammates will play off in the Go Sevens Grand Final on Thursday. FULL STORY - PAGE 41

Photo: Tom Parry

Maffra men down in CBL GF

Tom Hayes

THE curtains closed on the 2022 CBL Gippsland season, with both Men’s and Women’s Grand Finals played on Saturday at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium in Traralgon. First up was the Women’s division, where Korumburra Wildcats steamed to the title, slaughtering Moe Meteors by 48 points. The Wildcats put the pedal to the metal, building its lead in every quarter, climbing to the title at full speed. With a four-point lead at the end of the first quarter, Korumburra’s lead grew to 21 at the half, as it kept the Meteors to just seven points in the second quarter. The Wildcats weren’t running out of energy anytime soon, with the lead extending to 30 with a quarter to play. Korumburra’s final quarter was certainly the most over-powering, outscoring Moe 24-6, to complete a Grand Final demolition. Moe’s best point-scorer was Caitlin Demczuk, doing so once again for the Meteors in 2022. Chloe Hogg top-scored for the Wildcats with 26 points, including one three-pointer, and was well accompanied by Alahna Arnason who nailed 20 points throughout the Grand Final. The Grand Final MVP was taken out by Korumburra’s Gemma Dixon, who featured with eight points, which included one from outside the arc. After losing the 2021/22 Semi Final to the eventual winners, Wonthaggi Coasters, earlier this year, the Wildcats made sure they would right its wrongs by winning the 2022 Grand Final. NOT many teams can say they’ve won two Grand Finals in a calendar year, but now the Traralgon T-Birds Men’s team can, after defeating Maffra Eagles. Like fellow Premiers, Korumburra, the T-Birds built its lead after every quarter to ease to another title. The first quarter was the tightest of the entire Grand Final, with Traralgon slightly edging Maffra by just a point. But the remaining three quarters would be all Traralgon, as they continued to romp the Eagles. The T-Birds outscored Maffra by 10 points in the second quarter to take an 11-point lead into the half time break. The rest in between quarters did the T-Birds a world of good, as they came out and continued to batter the Eagles more severely in the second half. The lead grew to 15 with a quarter to play, before Traralgon blew it out to 27 points, thanks to a 32-20 quarter, to be crowned eventual champions. Points were scored all over the floor for Traralgon, with Christian D’Angelo top scoring with 24. Frazar Brouns scored 22 points, while Ben Barlow, Kody Tibballs and Luis D’Angelo all scored in double digits. Christian D’Angelo was awarded the Grand Final MVP for the T-Birds, thanks to his outstanding performance, which included three three-pointers.

Sharks qualify for GCL final two months out

Liam Durkin

IT might not be for another two months, but we already know Sale-Maffra will play in the Gippsland Cricket League senior men’s final. The Sharks opponent for the final was decided on Sunday, when Traralgon defeated Bairnsdale by 65 runs. Making the road trip to Lakes Entrance, the visitors compiled 214 batting first. Traralgon was well-served by Matt Dyke scoring 52, in a knock that included seven fours, and fellow opener Lee Stockdale, who scored 34 off 37 balls (with two sixes). After the pair put on 74 for the opening stand, further runs came thanks to some late hitting from Cam Graham, to see Traralgon use up virtually their entire 50-over allotment. Bairnsdale took the initiative in response, with Rohan Blandford and Dylan Jordan combining for a 59-run stand to start proceedings. Jordan sent three balls over the fence, although his demise set about a rot as far as the home side was concerned. Jordan’s innings of 60 ended up being the only effort of note, as Traralgon was able to turn the game thanks, in turn, to the work of Jimmy Pryde and Stockdale. Pryde was miserly, going for just 28 runs off 10 overs, while Stockdale could not be denied, taking 4/10 off just as many, with four maidens as well. ‘Spin to win’ proved to be the catch-cry for Traralgon, as Yohan Soyza also chipped in with 2/23. After getting to 2/99, Bairnsdale was soon starring down the barrel, with the scoreboard reading 5/108. A small partnership took the score to 5/133, but this rebuild was undone when Bairnsdale lost their next three wickets for two runs. In the end, Bairnsdale could only manage 149. Youngster Campbell Peavey made his senior GCL debut for the Tornadoes, and grabbed 2/19. With four of five regular season games now completed, Traralgon and Sale-Maffra cannot mathematically miss the final, to be played on February 5 2023. That means the Sharks last remaining regular season match against the Tornadoes, to be played on January 15 2023, is virtually a dress rehearsal for the final.