Margaret River Senior High School posts record victory in State school surfing titles

Margaret River Senior High School surfers have triumphed with an astonishing 17th annual win at the State school titles.

The victory positions some of the region’s best young surfers to represent WA in the national titles at North Stradbroke Island in Queensland in late November.

MRSHS beat 26 other regional and metropolitan schools for the win, which teacher Mark Meyer lauded as a testament to his young chargers’ “great adaptability” to the smaller conditions on offer.

Highlights included Macklin Flynn and Ben Cook tearing it up in a hard-fought final in the senior boys, notable for “last-minute heroics,” while Ruby Berry and Kaleisha Launders continued Margaret River’s success with a win in the senior girls final. Willow Hines and Grace Cook from MRSHS also posted some big numbers on their way to victory in the junior girls final. “Willow Hines showed great stamina and courage surfing back-to-back heats in both surfing and body boarding,” Meyer said.

“It was a massive win for Kaleisha and Ruby winning the senior girls convincingly.

“We have only won this division once in the last five years.

“For them to do it and still being under 16-years-old was an outstanding achievement.”

However, the surf academy coach noted future years could see MRSHS have to defend its reign even more strongly, with metropolitan Perth fielding “very strong teams” in the junior boys. Judges said Margaret River’s depth of talent was clearly on display as the squad ran away with four wins and two runner-up finishes of the eight divisions in total, including three wins from four in the finals.

“Congratulations to Margaret River Senior High School, they were definitely challenged this year, but once again proved to be WA’s best surfing school, with a record-breaking 17th Champion School victory,” Surfing WA events manager Justin Majeks said.

“We’ve discovered new talent throughout all of WA’s surfing regions and well done to those surfers who have now qualified to represent WA at the Australian Junior Surfing Titles.”

Hines and Olive Hardy also triumphed in the senior girls bodyboarding, while St Mary’s Mackillop College’s Maverick Wilson and Jye Edmonds nabbed the junior boys surfing division.