Young lifesavers make a splash in national championships

Williamstown competitors Noah Chapple, Mahli McCarroll and Madison Sonego. (Supplied)

Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club (WSLSC) under-13 competitors Noah Chapple and Mahli McCarroll narrowly missed out on podium finishes at the recent Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.

The youth competition kicked off in Scarborough in Western Australia on Saturday, March 25, with the masters championships starting on Monday, March 27, followed by the open competition from Wednesday, March 29 to Saturday, April 2.

Chapple placed fourth in the under-13 boys surf race, backing this up with a sixth in the ironman and 14th in the two-kilometre ocean swim, while McCarroll was fourth in the under 13 girls beach flags.

“It was incredibly exciting to mix it against Australia’s best competitors at my first Aussies,” Chapple said.

“I’ve worked really hard this season and it was great to test myself in the challenging conditions in Perth.”

Chapple and McCarroll were joined in the Australian youth championships by teammate Madison Sonego in the under-14 division.