Oceania Challenge 2005

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Katherine Prumm & Nikki Scott

15 November 2005

Oceania Challenge 2005

The New Zealand Motocross team went to Barrabool in Victoria last weekend to defend the Oceania title. On Saturday saw racing in fine but windy conditions, until a brief late afternoon shower. Sunday dawned with hot sunny conditions.

Saturday in the Oceania Womens championship saw New Zealand’s own Katherine Prumm walk away from the rest of the pack easily lapping all the other competitors showing why she is number 2 in the world. She lead the Kiwi team to a 14 point lead (38 to 24) going into Sundays final day of the trans-Tasman battle. With team mates Nikki Scott second overall and Mary Perkins fourth overall the Kiwi ladies ran away with the Oceania Womens Challenge.

Final Overall Placings
1st Katherine Prumm (NZ)
2nd Nikki Scott (NZ)
3rd Kristy Gillespie (Aus)
4th Mary Perkins (NZ)

Sunday was the turn of the Juniors, Pro Lites and Pro Open.

Kiwi junior Brad Groombridge (Kawasaki) showed his class decimating the Aussie opposition. With a lone Aussie between Brad and team mates Matthew Hunt and Jayden Jessup they cleaned up the Aussies in the Juniors.

Final Overall Placings
1st Brad Groombridge (NZ)
2nd Taylor Potter (Aus)
3rd Joel Passlow (Aus)
4th Matthew Hunt (NZ)
5th Jayden Jessup (NZ)

In the Pro Lites Aussies Brett Metcalfe came home ahead of Troy Dorron with Kiwi Scott Columb in third. Scott made a gallant fight of it but the US experience of Metcalfe told on the day. The other Kiwi boys in the Pro Lites team Justin McDonald, Nick Saunders, Blake Gillard and Seadon Baker all had solid performances. Unfortunately, Tommy Madams punctured but in true grit style kept circulating to gain the points for his team.

1st Brett Metcalfe (Aus)
2nd Troy Dorron (Aus)
3rd Scott Columb (NZ)

In the Pro Open, New Zealand’s own Josh Coppins ran away from the Aussies to win all his races showing why he is number 2 in the world. Damien King was also up with the Aussies along with late addition to the team, Andrew Porter, Scott Moir and Brett Turnbull.

Final Overall Placings
1st Josh Coppins (NZ)
2nd Craig Anderson (Aus)
3rd Damien King (NZ)

A gallant Kiwi team just went down to Australia by 16 points, 327 to 309 – a truly brilliant effort. Josh Coppins said on Sunday night, “I just cannot believe the talent we have and the guts these guys showed over the weekend. Awesome, just awesome.” In the true spirit of the event, Josh Coppins donated his prize-money back to the event organisers in order to save the Barrabool track.

ENDS

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