Watch Hurley break world record

This column has been reporting on the rise of Robert Hurley over the last two years even before most other media took any notice. Now he has a world record.

The story of his latest achievements at the Sydney World Cup event follows.

Illawarra’s Robert Hurley has broken the world record for the 50m backstroke in the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup at Sydney’s Olympic swimming pool on Sunday night 26th October. Hurley’s 23.24 beat Thomas Ruppath of Germany’s previous record of 23.27. In winning the event Hurley accounted for Russia’s Stanislav Donets (23.63) and Australian Olympian Ashley Delaney (24.04).

Later on Sunday night Hurley (1.52.39) won the 200m backstroke from Ashley Delaney and Donets who came third.

On the previous night (Saturday 25th October) in the 100m backstroke, Hurley showed he was in good form when Donets just edged him out in the 100m backstroke. Donet’s time was 50.75 compared to Hurley’s 50.82 which was just outside the Australian record. Delaney again came third. To show his versatility on the same night he competed later in the 400 metre freestyle event and came second to the Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli. Australia’s Ryan Napolean was third.

This was a very successful meet for Hurley who picked up two golds and two silvers in his four events which all pay prize money to place getters. In the next few days, Hurley travels with a small contingent of Australians to other World Cup events in Singapore, Moscow, Stockholm and Berlin.

To read other stories about Hurley’s rise go to: http://wollongong.sportslive.com.au/index.pl?page=1798

Unanderra and Balgownie are Champions

Unanderra under 11s proved to be the penalty kings and Balgownie under 14s dominated their game to take NSW Football’s Champion of Champion titles last weekend.

The Unanderra under 11s were 1 all with Sydney Juniors after extra time, but then proved too strong in the penalty shootout winning 4 – 2.

Balgownie under 14s put on a goal feast to win 4 nil over Sydney Juniors. Unfortunately for Figtree fans the travel home from Football NSW headquarters at Valentine Park, Glenwood was not as victorious. Smithfield defeated Figtree in both the under 10s and also the under 12 women. Parramatta narrowly accounted for Figtree in the under 12s. Still it is not too bad to be the second best team across the state!

The Champion of Champion tournaments are held between winners of the various grades from football associations across NSW.

The results of the finals on October 26 were:

Under 10:
F:  Figtree 1 Smithfield RSL 3

Under 11:
F:  Unanderra 1 Sydney Juniors1; Unanderra won 4 -2 on penalties

Under 12:
F:  Figtree 1 PCYC Parramatta 2

Under 14:
F:  Balgownie 4 Sydney Juniors 0

Under 12 women:
F:  Figtree 1 Smithfield RSL 2

For more details on the Champions of Champions go to:
http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-5924-0-0-0&a=COMPS

Wollongong to host Claxton Shield game

Illawarra Baseball has successfully applied to host one of the games of the 2009 Claxton Shield series in Wollongong later this year.

Australian Baseball officials have advised that one of the prize games of this season’s series between current titleholders Western Australia / Barbagello Perth Heat and their opponents from last year’s finals series, the New South Wales Patriots, will be played on December 14 at Fred Finch Park, Berkeley.

For those not familiar with the Claxton Shield it is the National Baseball Championship that has been played for between the Australian States since 1934. The 2009 event has added significance in being the 75th anniversary.

This season’s tournament will see all five teams play each other on a home and away basis. This revised format is being used as a trial for the planned return of an Australian Baseball League (ABL) in 2010.

The Wollongong game is one of a 46 games schedule in the overall series. Four other provincial centres Lismore, Mount Gambier, Mildura, Geelong and the national capital Canberra, have also been chosen to host games.
The rosters of the teams that will play in Wollongong will not be announced until around two weeks beforehand but it is known all teams will feature national representatives and many Australian based players who play with United States Major League Baseball organisations.

The Western Australians announced a major signing during last week with the inclusion of Graeme Lloyd as a coach. A past Perth Heat ABL player, Lloyd is the only Australian to date to be a member of a Major League Baseball World Series winning team achieving the feat twice when pitching with the New York Yankees in 1996 and 1998.  Lloyd could be activated to player status during the coming series. (Report by Frank Booth)

Background on the Claxton Shield

Celebrating a 75 year milestone in 2009, Australia’s oldest and most prestigious baseball competition will herald an unprecedented format that many see as a vital step towards a revamped national competition.

For the first time, the game schedule will commence with a Showcase Round at Blacktown Olympic Park from December 2 through December 7, 2008, where five teams will congregate to play the first ten games of a forty game series.

The remaining thirty games will be played in a subsequent five-week ‘Home and Away’ Series that will commence on December 12 and conclude on January 18, with each state hosting a minimum of six games.

The ‘Home and Away’ schedule has been manipulated to include regional venues in Lismore, Mount Gambier, Mildura, Wollongong, Geelong and Canberra. This format will provide local fans with the opportunity to see their Aussie heroes play on home soil for the first time in almost a decade.

The Semi-Finals will be held from January 23 through January 25, with the Finals to be played February 6 through 8, 2009.

The five-team competition will include the Queensland Rams, Victoria Aces, Barbagello Perth HEAT, New South Wales Patriots and South Australia.

Australian Baseball has released 2009 Claxton Shield information that is available at their Internet site – http://www.baseball.com.au  Select – Events – Claxton Shield.

Junior Cricket

For all the results of all grades in Illawarra Junior Cricket  go to:  http://www.cricketnsw.com.au/ijca/

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