Sport
19 October, 2026
Craze juniors win state underwater champs
CAIRNS Craze junior underwater hockey players have been crowned Queensland champions after finishing first at the state titles in Mackay.
The Cairns junior team finished ahead of Cooktown in second and Mackay in third, securing the state title after a strong showing by the region’s young athletes.
The success continued as eight Cairns juniors, five Mossman juniors and two Tableland juniors were selected to represent Queensland in the under-15 teams.
Cairns Craze president and coach Sean Hartley said it was a successful period for the club’s junior development.
The club sent 36 athletes to Mackay, including 20 juniors, with players competing in the junior, B-grade and A-grade divisions.
Although the adult teams did not secure medals, the junior victory highlighted the strength of the club’s emerging players.
Mr Hartley said the club had experienced sustained growth, with more athletes pursuing representative honours.
“We’ve got a large number of our players trialling for Queensland teams this year, about 36. I think last year we had 28 players in the Queensland teams from our club,” he said.
Under-15 player Jarrah Hillier, whose team finished first at the national championships in January, had a straightforward ambition heading into the Mackay event.
Asked about his goal for the competition, he replied: “Win, just win.”
Fellow junior Maci Richards also expressed confidence ahead of the tournament and praised the club’s coaching staff.
“Yeah, I’d say I feel ready,” she said.
Looking further ahead, Richards hopes to trial for the world championships and, eventually, represent Australia.
