Warilla-Barrack Point surf lifesavers are eyeing off the NSW Titles after an outstanding NSW Country Championships.
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The club finished second on the pointscore, behind hosts Cudgen, and manager Craig Burke said the results exceeded expectations.
"We've come so far in three years, it's unbelievable," Burke said.
"We were aiming to knock off Byron Bay and give Cudgen a run, and we did that. Last year we were third and were 400-500 points behind.
"This year after day one we were second and only 20 points behind Cudgen. They had stacked their team to get points on the second day, so we couldn't catch them.
"Now we're preparing to take a crew up to Swansea for the State Titles. We were 13th last year, this year we'll try crack the top 10.
"We've got a stronger team than last year and a lot more depth, so I think we can achieve that goal."
Warilla-Barrack Point won 121 medals, including 62 gold. Leading the way were Jackson Walsh, with seven gold and two silver medals, and Storm Balmain, who finished with three victories.
Kiah Shipley won the under 12 ironwoman and surf races, while Montana Doubell took out the under 13 ironwoman.
Also contributing to the cause were Ironman stars Ben Carberry and Hayden White, the duo turning out to represent their junior club.
For Balmain, it was an honour to race alongside his sporting idols.
"This is one of my favourite events in the year because it's so much fun and you meet so many new friends and catch up with old ones," Balmain said.
"We have Ross Day as our coach. We train four days a week. Ross gives us so much support and we love it. It's pretty cool competing in the same team as Hayden White and Benny Carberry this weekend, I've looked up to them for ages."
The South Coast Branch Championships are scheduled for this weekend, however the event is at risk of cancellation due to the forecast surf conditions. A final decision will be made on Thursday. The Illawarra Branch Championships were cancelled on Wednesday.
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