Sport
9 January, 2023
Sporting highlights of 2022 - October to December
The end of 2022 saw a host of amazing sporting performances, personal records and heart-touching moments, read about them here.
In October The Mareeba Basketball Association started to rekindle the passion for the sport in Mareeba after a new committee announced a fresh short form season and Mutchilba born and bred Hazel Shannon debuted on the world stage after competing in the FEI World Equestrian Games Championships Pratoni in Roma.
Grace Grandcourt once again proved her sharp eye and steady hand after she won her third national title in Darwin, earning her a spot to compete on the world stage for a second time.
A selection of some of the most experienced Mareeba Bulls completed the “three-peat” over a seven year effort and became three-time champions of the Over 45’s carnival.
In November after 50 years of experience both in and out of the ring, local Mareeba boxer Pinkie Csoma was named an Australian Champion after he won the Masters Super Heavy Weight division at the World Boxing Foundation.
Home-town hero Wyatt Milgate claimed his second Great Northern Bullriding Series Open title after an action packed finals in Atherton before he announced his plans to further his career in bull riding in either Canada or the United States.
Veteran Taekwondo martial artist and instructor Gennaro Arena was honoured with his 7th Dan by Rhee Taekwondo Australian founder Master Chon Chul Rhee.
Local gymnast Natalia Esposito took her first step in her journey to the Olympic stage after becoming the Queensland Level 6 Vault National Champion.
A small cohort of talented Malanda judo practitioners showed out at the Australian Kodokan Judo National Championships with all the martial artists, Daniel Shaughnessy, Anthony Crooks,
Georgia Speare and Taylor Lander achieving medals in their divisions.
Mareeba local Azariah Gutchen had months of his hard work and dedication pay off after he was named a national bodybuilding champion.
Bonnie Milgate shed some light on why she decided to devote her time in the rodeo circuit to tackling some of the toughest bulls Queensland has to offer, following in the footsteps of her father Kyle and brother Wyatt.
Barefoot water-skier Katina Davis returned with gold around her next after competing in the World Masters Championship in America where she tested her skills against some of the best skiers in the world and a new state-of-the-art equestrian centre was officially opened on the Tablelands.
To begin December young Atherton cricketer Will Watson was given the honour of being the U16s Bulls Masters Youth Cup when they played in Cairns and Mareeba Basketball signed off on their most successful season in recent history after putting teams in each age group which all culminated in a set of highly competitive finals.
