Golden start for Gisborne youngster at Oceans 25 NZ junior surf lifesaving champs

Wainui young gun Brooke Williams won Gisborne's first gold medal at the Oceans 25 NZ junior surf lifesaving championships, which started at Mount Maunganui on Thursday. Williams is in the yellow cap in this Wainui team photograph taken at the carnival.

Wainui’s Brooke Williams got Gisborne’s gold medal tally going on day one of the Oceans Festival of Junior Surf Lifesaving at Mount Maunganui on Thursday.

More than 700 Under-14 athletes from across the country are taking part in the four-day national competition.

Conditions on the opening day were near-perfect - small surf and a light sea breeze.

Williams won four national titles at Oceans 24 in the U11 girls’ division, and on Friday started her U12 campaign in similar vein by winning the run-swim-run.

“Brooke had a great swim off the beach, and got well out in front,” said Riversun Wainui head coach Dion Williams - Brooke’s father.

“She would have won the final by 50m. It was an awesome performance and the family are really proud of her. It was a beautiful day for all the kids to test their skills.”

On the beach, Dawson Building Midway’s Lucas Nicol clinched silver in the U14 boys beach flags - the second medal of the day for the three Gisborne clubs competing.

Other notable run-swim-run performances came from Midway’s Blake Taylor, fourth, U13 boys; Wainui’s Zoe Keepa, fifth U13 girls; and Midway’s Noah Atkins, fifth, U11 boys.

Wainui’s Indy Williams - Brooke’s cousin - was fifth in the U11 girls' beach flags and club mate Xavier Booker was sixth in the U12 boys' flags.

The championships continue on Saturday with board and beach sprints through to finals, along with board rescue heats and semifinals.