NSW Corporate Games Results
Congratulations and thanks for representing DD at the NSW Corporate Games
The 2010 NSW Corporate Games attracted around 7,000 participants from 298 organisations. This was slightly down on last year with many of the big companies ‘downsizing’ in response to the Global Financial Crisis… but not Double Drummer.
The Double Drummer team grew this year by 30% to 80 ‘finely tuned’ athletes competing across 12 different sports. We proved again that you don’t have to be a major corporate to participate in Australia’s largest annual multi-sport Championships… or to make an impact on the medal count. Community beats company every time!
We placed one better this year than last finishing 5th overall in the medal tally against those 298 participating organisations! Corporate giants like Optus, Westpac, Colgate-Palmolive, Qantas and many more were left floundering in our wake.
Our congratulations and sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the DD colours… in particular to our returning star recruit, Seven Time World Surfing Champ., Layne Beachley who again swapped her board for a tennis racquet and performed admirably, finishing 3rd in the Ladies Doubles Open with partner Simone Massie.
As mentioned, in all we took home 12 medals - on average, 1 in every 6 DD participants won a medal... the same great record we established last year.
The Medal Winners were:
- RUNNING
Val Vassall – Running 5K Women 60-69 – 1st place
- SQUASH
Ebenezer Swan – Singles Men State Grade – 1st place
Craig Moore - Singles Men A Grade – 1st place
- SWIMMING
Greg Boerma – 100m Freestyle Men 50 - 59 – 3rd place
- TENNIS
Mike Etherington – Singles Men 40-49 – 1st place
Alex Koncar – Singles Men 50+ – 1st place
Dave Keogh & Gary Nadjarian – Men’s Doubles 40+ - 1st place
Lara Giltinan – Singles Women Open – 2nd place
Robyn Novakovic – Singles Women 40+ - 2nd place
Denise Darby & Myra Swanson – Doubles Women Open – 2nd place
Tim Barnes & Mark Bunn – Doubles Men’s Open – 2nd place
Layne Beachley & Simone Massie – Doubles Women’s Open – 3rd
Although they missed out on the medals, these individuals finished in the top 8 and contributed vital points to the Double Drummer team.
- NETBALL
Lindsey Cooke, Nicola De Stefano, Alexandra Eather, Jackie Francis (C), Clair Gowenlock, Karen Harper, Katrina Howley, Jessica Jack, Sarah Mercer – Women’s Open – 6th place
- SWIMMING
Greg Boerma – 50m Freestyle Men 50 - 59 – 4th place
Greg Boerma – 50m Backstroke Men 50 - 59 – 5th place
- TABLE TENNIS
Gill Rogers – Singles Women Open – 8th place
Rapunzel Lara & Gill Rogers – Doubles Women’s Open – 5th place
- TENNIS
Scott Osborne – Singles Men Open – 4th place
Tanya Vegar – Singles Women -30 – 4th place
Alison Hill & Joye Walsh – Doubles Women’s Open – 4th place
Robyn & Cara Novakovic – Doubles Women’s Open – 5th place
Mike Etherington & Anne Stewart – Doubles Mixed Open – 5th place
Chris Borain & Scott Osborne – Doubles Men’s Open – 8th place
- TENPIN BOWLING
Janet Burrows – Singles Women’s Open – 4th place
But of course, the Games aren’t all about winning… they’re about participating and having fun meeting new people, while helping a great cause in Diabetes Australia-NSW… and no team had more fun than Double Drummer!
Just ask our first ever Beach Volleyball team, who only finalised their Mixed Open side on the day that entries closed, met each other just briefly before the competition began, yet had an absolute blast and even won a game! Special thanks to Paula Finlay who found the last remaining boys needed to make up the team just in time to enter.
Beach Volleyball Mixed Team - (from top, left) Warren Cammack, Paula Finlay (C), Chris Steele, Tony Perna, Belinda Bradford, Laeti Noblet, Paula Prado
Then there was our 10-man Basketball team who only practised once before competing (and that without everyone attending), yet won two rounds and only just missed out in a close game on making it through to the knockout rounds.
Our lone Swimming competitor Greg Boerma suffers from a diabetes-related syndrome known as hyperferrinaemia. He drove all the way from Goulburn to finish 3rd in the 100M Freestyle for Men 50-59… AND he finished 4th and 5th in two other events, even after “running out of puff” after his first event. A Champion effort Greg! Thanks for representing Double Drummer.
A special mention to Erin McInerney - our solo debutant for the new Biathlon event. Erin obviously likes to try out new sports – she was one of our first time Dragon Boat rowers last year.
In her own words: “I injured a calf and could barely run, which was so disappointing. But the atmosphere was great and I’m keen to do it all again next year… hopefully another Double Drummer or two will join me! I think the poor organisers were waiting for me to finish so they could pack up and go home.”
Erin took the photo (bottom left) of the beautiful sunrise over Canada Bay on race day. (Maybe that’s why it took you a while to finish Erin? Just kidding ;)
Our Netball team was put together by DD’s very own, Jackie Francis. The team was certainly the brightest of all on game day… (literally, as they wore bright orange bibs). After winning their first three games straight, they were well on their way to winning their pool until beaten by a lone goal in their final round robin match. (Must have been Shane Hayne refereeing!) Next year for sure girls!
Women’s Netball Team - (from top, left) Sarah Mercer, Karen Harper, Jessica Jack, Alex Eather, Lindsey Cooke, Clair Gowenlock, Nicola De Stafano, Jackie Francis (C) and Katrina Howley
Now holding the NSW Corporate Games record for the latest entrant ever (just a tad over deadline time), William Collins entered the Men’s 50+ 10km Running event. While he may have been last to enter, he finished a very creditable 17th with a time of 64 mins. and 22 seconds - a great effort William.
Lauren Keogh captained the Touch team in three nerve-wracking pool matches, one of which they won by a single point and another they lost by the same narrow margin. While not progressing to the medal round in this their first year, they made a lot of other teams stand up and take notice and will be back bigger and stronger in 2011. Playing a very physical game for DD was former Balmain Tigers’ centre, Wayne Wigham, while Mike Williams and Michael Psarakis played some great footy.
DD Touch Mixed Open Team - (from top, left) Laura Giblett, Holly Fuda, Rhys Wigham, Wayne Wigham, Jacqueline Ong, Lauren Keogh (C), Michael Psarakis, Mike Williams
Once again, our Tennis team provided the bulk of Double Drummer’s medal haul. Former World Surfing Champ. Layne Beachley collected her first Corporate Games Medal with partner Simone Massie in the Open Ladies Doubles, finishing 3rd, while we also snared 2nd place in the same event thanks to Denise Darby & Myra Swanson.
It was a steaming hot day at Homebush with court temperatures in the high-30s, yet our veterans shone, claiming three 1st place medals in the 50s Men’s Singles (Alex Konkar), 40s Men’s Singles (Mike Etherington) and 40s Men’s Doubles (Gary Nadjarian and Dave Keogh reclaiming the title they won in 2008). Other stand out performances in the Tennis were Lara Giltinan (2nd in the Open Ladies Singles), Mark Bunn and Tim Barnes (2nd in the Open Men’s Doubles) and Robyn Novakovic in the Women’s 40+ Singles.
Click here to view the complete 2010 NSW Corporate Games results
2010 Queensland Corporate Games
Thanks again for your support and for helping raise much needed money for diabetes research and treatment programs. If you’ve caught that competitive bug, we're doing it all again in Brisbane in May! The Queensland Corporate Games will have a more 'Olympic' feel about it as most of the events are held at the one centre – the University of Queensland.
This time we're raising money for Redkite – a wonderful organisation that supports children fighting cancer. There are 15 sports from which to choose in Brisbane.
So if you can take a Friday off work, join us under the DD flag once more in the sport of your choice, this time in Brisbane from May 14-16. Click here for full details
A huge thanks again everyone. Look forward to more fun in the near future.
