Sport
9 January, 2023
Sporting highlights of 2022 - July to September
Take a look at the best sporting highlights around the region from July to September.
July saw two former Mareeba junior Bulls Hanna and Hayden get the once in a lifetime opportunity to play soccer in London after they competed in the West Ham United National Camp and the Malanda Show recorded its highest ever attendance in its 105-year-old history.
For the first time in a decade the Sunstate Amateur Boxing League Golden Gloves Titles were held in Mareeba and brought together some of Queensland’s best up and coming fighters with local boy Cohan Lockett being the only Tablelander to claim a gold medal.
In August, four-time professional boxing champion Omari Kimweri announced his plans to open his own boxing gym in Kuranda while young Taekwondo martial artist Christo Schutte made it into the Xthreem Taekwondo history books after he was awarded his junior black belt at just 10 years old.
The Atherton Roosters retained the coveted Tableland Cup in spectacular fashion after winning the final match against the Mareeba Gladiators 52-20 and Tablelands’ rising rugby league stars put it all on the line as teams from Atherton, Malanda, Herberton played each other in the Eacham Junior Rugby League held their 2022 finals.
To start off September over 660 fish were reeled in during the annual Tinaroo Barra Bash as avid anglers from across the North and further flocked to the shores of Lake Tinaroo.
A few select gymnasts from Mareeba got the news they were selected to compete in their first ever international event after 22 Mareeba gymnasts were chosen to compete in the World Gymnaestrada Amsterdam in 2023.
Atherton netball prodigy, 15-year-old Asha Lynch-Simmons was the only Tablelander to be selected to represent Queensland in her chosen sport at the 2022 Netball Queensland Nissan State Titles.
Sailing queen Breanne Wadley joined a short and highly prestigious list of previous Olympic Gold Medal winners after she was announced as the Queensland Youth Sailor of the Year.
Members of both the Atherton Roosters and the Mareeba Gladiators populated the winners list at the FNQ Rugby League Gold Medal Dinner, Mareeba’s Rachael Morgan jointly winning the Volunteer of the Year award as Gladiator Tyrone Williams and Rooster Zamien Gilbert shared the U18’s Player of the Year award.
The Atherton Eagles ended a six-year premier-ship dry spell after their Division One Men’s team claimed the title over the Mareeba Bulls in a dramatic penalty shootout.
18 years after the Atherton Roosters U18’s side last grasped the premiership trophy, the 2022 side reclaimed the club’s lost glory after beating the Kangaroos 34-16 in their grand final match-up.
A new ultra-marathon race was advertised for the Tablelands dubbed the Old Mates Backyard Ultra which saw over 60 runners run for hours on end until Adam Fox stood atop the ladder with a total time of 19 hours.
