Outstanding teenage Illawarra surfers Kiara Meredith and Billie Melinz took on some of Australia's best and finished runners-up in round 11 of the national Summer Surf Series at North Cronulla beach on Sunday.
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Barrack Heights-based Meredith surfed well to finish behind Queenscliff's Alysse Cooper who claimed the overall girls' championship in both under 16s and 18s divisions.
Meredith was second in under 16s and Melinz, from Coalcliff, was runner-up in under 18s behind the outstanding goofy-footer Cooper.
Melinz looked set to win the round 11 event after holding the advantage for most of the final with some pinpoint backhand turns, but Cooper snatched the lead with a great ride in the final seconds to take the title.
The 13-round series features national events for boys and girls in under 16s and 18s, including rounds at Kiama on the Illawarra South Coast, plus Sunshine Coast, Phillip Island, Margaret River and Torquay.
The new series was created to fill a competition void at a crucial point in the development of Australia's leading junior surfers and is an important link in Surfing Australia's "pathway to the podium".
The 12th round is in Trigg, Western Australia this weekend, followed by the final round at Yamba in late March.
