Sports Reports: Bill Robinson wins time trial gold at Mypolonga

This post includes contributions from the Murraylands Cycling Club, River Murray Football League, River Murray Netball Association, Heather Richards and Daniel Irvine.

• Bill Robinson wins time trial gold at Mypolonga
• Mannum knocked out of River Murray football finals
• River Murray netballers play two nail-biting finals
• Table tennis players compete in the Barossa
• Greg Traeger equals season’s best score at Murray Bridge Rifle Club

Bill Robinson wins time trial gold at Mypolonga

On a weekend of outstanding weather, the 2022 SA Road and Time Trial State Championships at Mypolonga has gone down as a success.

Saturday brought about the road race events, with the first featuring the elite/under -23 men, junior men under 19 and elite/under 23/junior under-19 women, with each group leaving the starter one minute apart.

Unfortunately Murraylands Cycling Club member Jason Woodard was a non-starter in the under-23 men’s; he had to withdraw on Friday after succumbing to ongoing health issues.

Tailem Bend rider James Hand finished sixth in the under-19 men’s after being dropped from numerous attacks on the second lap.

“In the road race my main goal was to hang on to the fast boys for as long as possible,” he said.

“At the start of the second lap there were big attacks which I couldn’t hold on to and (I) went solo.”

Session two consisted of all the junior categories, from under-11s to under-17s, with no local representatives.

The third and final session for Saturday consisted of the three groups of masters categories, including club member and defending champion Bill Robinson.

Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, due to some rotten luck.

After stopping to fix a flat tyre on the side of the road on lap two, then charging around the 10-kilometre circuit, slowly catching his group, Robinson got another puncture on lap four and had to retire.

On Sunday, with the weather even better for the time trial state championships, there was some great racing.

The riders came out in waves in their age groups, leaving the starters at one-minute intervals.

Robinson was the first member out, leaving the start line at 12.14pm to cover a distance of 20km over four laps.

By this time a strong north-northeaster had developed, blowing straight into the riders’ faces as they climbed the hill past the institute on Green Street.

Keen to make up for his disappointing DNF from Saturday, Robinson powered around the circuit thinking that he had done a pretty good time, but not knowing for sure, as this was his first time competing in the time trial event and he had no data to compare on Strava.

He certainly did do a good time – as he won his class, the men’s masters S7.

His win created a bit of history: he became the first Murraylands Cycling Club member to win a state championship gold medal.

His first attempt to leave the starter at 2.09pm was interrupted by a dropped chain, forcing him to go to the back of the line to attempt his start again.

All went well the second time around; Hand got a good start but found the going hard amid strong winds.

He finished fourth in his under-19 class but was relegated back one place due to crossing the centre white line during the race.

Still, he was pleased with his time, which was just under a minute over what he thought he would achieve.

“In the time trial I was also just seeing what I can do,” he said.

“There was lots of wind out on track, making it a difficult ride.

“I was aiming to do a 30-minute ride and ended up with a 30:52, which I’m pretty happy with.”

Mannum knocked out of River Murray football finals

Qualifying final: Imperials 11.17 (83) defeated Tailem Bend 10.7 (67)

Tailem Bend best: Daniel Perks, Lachie Jones, Dylan Hogarth, Steven Clay, Connor Smelt. Goals: Steven Clay 3, Josef Rack 2, Connor Smelt 2, Lachie Jones, Daniel Perks, Jacob Wilson.

Imperial best: Ben Gogel, Luke Harrowfield, Louis DeMichele, James Clarke, Dwayne Wilson. Goals: Johnny Boras 2, Samuel DeMichele 2, Ben Gogel 2, Luke Harrowfield 2, Jack Penfold, Louis DeMichele, Mitchell Lienert.

Elimination final: Meningie 7.11 (53) defeated Mannum 2.9 (21)

Meningie best: Greg Saddlier, James Lawson, Peter Reichelt, Benjamin Gibbs, Clinton Walker. Goals: Brodie Martin 2, Benjamin Gibbs, Timothy Hartman, Mark Ploenges, Brad Thompson, David Wilson.

Mannum best: Michael O’Malley, Sebastian Quaini, Bryce Jaensch, Josh Boylan, Jack Bormann. Goals: Dylan Ribbons, Cody Krollig.

River Murray netballers play two nail-biting finals

Qualifying final: Imperials 46 defeated Mypolonga 45

Elimination final: Ramblers 44 defeated Mannum 43

Table tennis players compete in the Barossa

Members of the Murray Bridge and Districts Table Tennis Association have taken a picturesque drive to Nuriootpa for the annual Barossa Meisterschaft tournament over the weekend.

Shane, Melissa and Brayden Denman, Bob Hancock, Mark Williams, Heather Richards, Robby Tyas and Laurette Norton all enjoyed their matches in singles and doubles over varied categories.

Participants were cheered on by a number of family members and friends who had come along to support them.

A good load of trophies and raffle prizes were also brought home.

Barossa clubs will reciprocate the players’ support by attending a Murray Bridge tournament to be held on September 9-10 at the showground.

All will be welcome.

Greg Traeger equals season’s best score at Murray Bridge Rifle Club

It was a cool but, thankfully, dry winter’s day on Saturday at the Deed Range at Monarto as Murray Bridge Rifle Club competed in the sixth stage of its new championship year from a range of 400 metres.

The smaller targets at the close range presented a challenge for many, but the top two TR shooters were more than a match for it, scoring three possibles between them.

Greg Traeger managed to get the double to finish a point ahead of Robert Paech and score the equal best score of the current season.

The high score also ended up winning the handicap by a more comfortable margin of nearly eight points.

Traeger also scored a near-perfect sniper’s score with his sighters of 20.02, not missing the bullseye once all day.

• Read more: www.facebook.com/mbrifleclub.

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