Sports reports: Total Recon brings adventurers to the Murraylands

This post includes contributions from Morgan Coull, Michael Potts, and Daniel Irvine.

Total Recon brings adventurers to the Murraylands

Twenty-two teams from around the state have come to Murray Bridge to compete in Total Recon, the South Australian leg of the Adventure Racing World Series Oceania Group: either a 24-hour, 12-hour or six-hour race.

The course was kept secret until hours before the race began; teams then planned their route on their given maps of the area to locate checkpoints that they had to visit in order.

Teams took on the adventure racing disciplines of kayaking, running/trekking/rogaining, navigation, stand-up paddle boarding and mountain biking.

Teams visited a number of iconic Murraylands landmarks and parks:

• paddling around Long Island, the Swanport Wetlands and Riverglades
• mountain biking and running/trekking in Kinchina Conservation Park, Monarto Woodlands and the Olearia Trail
• climbing Mount Beevor and Mannum Waterfalls
• finishing with an abseil off the old bridge and plunging into the water

Local father and daughter duo Ben and Mikayla Cooper took out second place overall in the six-hour race.

Locals Jose Valerio and Mark Westlake also completed the 24-hour course as part of a four-man team.

Hazel Fertier, local rider, wins excellence and horsemanship award

Murray Bridge trackwork rider, Hazel Fertier, said she was ‘blown away’ to win both the Horsemanship and the Thoroughbred Excellence Award.

The Australian Stud and Stable Staff Awards were held last week on the Gold Coast.

Trainers at Murray Bridge testified to Hazel’s talent, devotion, and character in support of her nomination.

“The recognition 100% makes all the hard work worthwhile. There are so many people that do the same job and are just as deserving as well so to be acknowledged and rewarded like this it’s just huge.

“I was definitely going in hoping, and knew I was favourite, but you still never know… it was such a great night and such a good thing to go too,” she said.

Ms Fertier has been sidelined for the past six weeks due to a nasty fall that hyper extended her knee and caused an avulsion fracture to the tibia.

“The injuries aren’t giving me any pain. It’s the inconvenience not to be able to weight bare… but I think everyone at Murray Bridge is making do,” she said.

Still in a knee brace and using crutches, the best-case scenario is that she’ll be back in the saddle mid-July.

“The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) ripped a chunk of bone off the tibia rather than rupturing itself which is probably a good thing to happen. So we just need the bone to heal back together, and the MCL (medial cruciate ligament) tore as well but that’s going to fix itself fine.

“Thankfully we have managed to avoid surgery so far and in two weeks I can hopefully start rehab,” she said.

Shane Williss hits the heights on the golf course

Enthusiastic B-grader Shane Williss has topped a 69-strong stroke field at Murray Bridge Golf Club on Saturday with a patient nett 65 that proved a touch too good.

Noted for his long driving off the tee, deliberate putting on the green and, above all, exuberance and a willingness to engage in a chat about all things golf, Williss can never be accused of being dull to play with.

On this occaion he had his all-round game working like a well-oiled machine and deserved his win.

The first day of winter was just like the past 92 days of autumn: gorgeous for golf with a bit of sunshine and lovely still conditions.

Players appreciated it and duly recorded some fine scores.

Andrew Meddle showed he still has it at times, coughing up a fine nett 66 to win the A grade from Aaron Zrim, who showed no signs of a hangover after claiming the club championship just six days prior.

Lawerance Crack is giving his buddies a bit of grief lately as he keeps taking their money with his good scores.

Another excellent round of nett 66 and a B-grade win was definitely not popular with most of them.

The up-and-down ex-federal politician Patrick Secker returned to form with a solid nett 69 to edge out old marvel Graham Edwards, who carded a 71.

Meanwhile, in-form A-grader Brett Altschwager gained rights to the Sprig Bar beer tankard when he guided a smoothly hit five-iron into the cup on the tough 180-metre-long sixth hole on Saturday.

Playing with some equally talented players, he arrived at the green to see golf balls scattered all over it but when none of them were his he started to believe it really was his day … and so it was.

It was a nice little eagle, to boot, which won him a few balls from the eagle’s nest as well.

First shoot of the winter

There was a definite chill to the air as the Murray Bridge Rifle Club shot its first shoot of Winter on Saturday from a range of 500m.

The conditions did not hinder shooters, however, with some very competitive scores being shot, including four possibles.

One of those was a 50.08 from Robert Paech in TR, who backed it up with a 49.02, to win off-rifle 99.10 to Greg Traeger’s 95.08.

Paech also finished with a narrow lead in the handicap 110.5 to 109.6.

But Traeger didn’t come away empty handed, winning the Snipers Award as well as the dreaded Magpie Award.

F-Class was also a very closely run contest, with David McDonald, Gordon Harrison, and Frank Marshall all shooting possibles.

McDonald’s 117.11 easily gave him the win off-rifle from fellow F-Open shooter John Cranwell, who finished on 112.09.

Harrison and Marshall, however, were almost neck and neck, as Harrison edged out in front finishing on 118.08 to Marshall’s 116.04. 

The three were also close in the handicap, with less than two points separating them.

In the end it was David McDonald who came out ahead, finishing with 132.2 to Harrison’s 131.5 and Marshall’s 130.3.

Next week competitors will enjoy a practise round before the 15, with the Patron’s Trophy from 800m.

Storm ends Imperials’ winning streak

Jervois 67 defeated Coorong Cats 27

Mypolonga 49 defeated Ramblers 44

Tailem Bend 44 lost to Southern Suns 62

Mallee Storm 56 defeated Imperials 45'

Coorong cats remain undefeated

Jervois 9.3 (57) lost to Coorong Cats 16.14 (110)

Jervois best: Josh Hickmott, Bienfait Bigazi, Joshua Scott, Ryan Mckaye, Luke Kluske

Cats best: Brad Thompson, Alexander Stidiford, Brodie Martin, Henry Turner, Matthew Hartman

Mypolonga 12.9 (81) defeated Ramblers 6.14 (50)

Mypo best: Jack Kluske, Jordan Hein, Lochlan Gotch, Declan Fritchley, Riley Robinson

Ramblers best: Alex Pfeiffer, Kye Roberts, Malakai Kartinyeri, William Altmann, Aaron Pratt, Darcy bald

Tailem Bend 7.7 (49) lost to Southern Suns 19.15 (129)

Tailem best: Cooper Lambert, Thomas Mickan, Nick Westhoff, Jacob Wilson, Kylan Krueger-Gould

Suns best: Ben Moroney, Shilo Dabinett, Declan Gladigau, Rory O’Driscoll, Josh Smithson

Mallee Districts 5.11 (41) lost to Imperials 17.11 (116)

Districts best: Matthew Perkins, Tom Jones, Levi Brown, Jordan Sarti, Corey Cox, Henry Olsson

Imps best: Jack Bell, Sean Samblich, Bayden Willis, Nathan Daish, Lucas Young

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