Plenty of Parkes hockey players have been selected for NSW State teams recently. The 2022 NSW masters teams: 34s: Louise Witherow (shadow); 50s: Denise Gersbach (LT), Jane Rodgers, Mandy Westcott and Sue McGrath (shadow); 65 Blues: Fran Dixon, Maureen Massey and Donna Payne (manager). NSW Country team: Will Searl after his performance at the Men’s Open State Championships last weekend.Congratulations to you all!
Mariah In Team For Commonwealth Debut
Parkes hockey star Mariah Williams will make her debut at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July this year.
Despite having 93 caps for Australia, Mariah has never played at the Commonwealth Games. She was recently also selected for the Women’s Hockey World Cup squad. Mariah is one of 12 debutants picked for the Games with the Hockeyroos aiming to return to their golden ways. They have won gold in four of the six Commonwealth Games where hockey has been played. The Hockeyroos will come up against New Zealand, South Africa, Scotland and Kenya in their group stage.
Mariah Aims For 100th Test Cap
EVERGREEN… Mariah Williams was selected for the 2022 Women’s Hockey World Cup squad last week. (Photo: Kookaburra Hockey)
Parkes hockey star Mariah Williams is well on her way to her 100th test cap for Australia after being selected for the 2022 Women’s Hockey World Cup squad last week. Mariah, who received her first international cap at the age of just 17 in April 2013, is now one of the most experienced players in the squad with 93 caps.
The Hockeyroos open their World Cup campaign against Japan on 2nd July, and will play Belgium on 5th July and South Africa on 6th July. The 2022 World Cup takes place in Terrassa, Spain and Amstelveen, the Netherlands from 1st to 17th July. Sixteen teams will compete in four pools with the final series from 9th July.
The hockey action continues for the Hockeyroos from 28th July with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. The Hockeyroos will play their first pool match on 30th July.
State Selection For Junior Players
Three local players were selected for the U15 Girls Squad after their performances at the NSW Under 15 Girls State Championships hosted by Parkes last weekend. Congratulations to Chloe Brown, Lily Collins and Juliette Mills on their selection.
It was a massive weekend for Parkes hockey and was very well received by the many hockey associations from across NSW in attendance.
The winning teams in Parkes were: Division 1: Goulburn District Hockey Association; Division 2: Hockey New England; Division 3: Hockey Coffs Coast; Division 4: Hunter Hockey Association
Parkes hockey talents keeps on growing with another ten players selected in the 2022/23 AAP Squad. They are Toby Collins, Chloe Carty, Ted Murray, Jazlyn Greenwood, Kane McFarlane, Molly Orr, Tom Searl, Cody Kirk, Ryan Dunford and Nathan Marshall. The Athelete Acceleration Program (AAP) is aimed at talented athletes.
Parkes Hockey Shines At State Champs
STATE CHAMPS… The Parkes U18 hockey team won all their games at the State Champions in Sydney last week and came home with gold and a spot in Division 1 next year. They are at the back (L-R) NSW Hockey representative, Jack Westcott, Flynn Thompson, Nath Marshall, Ollie Brown, Jordan Grosvenor (manager), Zanda Johnstone, Joseph Tanswell, Jakob Chambers and Archie Rix. In front are (L-R) Will Searl (coach) Ryan Dunford, Jack Skinner, Tom Searl (captain), Cody Kirk, Toby Collins (captain) Ted Murray, Kane Macfarlane and Jack Rice.
The hockey season in Parkes got off to a great start with the Under 18 team coming home with gold from the state championships last weekend.
The Parkes U18 team won Division 2 of the 2022 Junior State Championship in Moorebank, Sydney. The grand final was an all Central West affair with Parkes beating Bathurst 3 – 1.
First time coach for the U18 team, and former Australian player, Will Searl said: “It is a great feeling, there is nothing better. The boys played out of their skins, and to go undefeated in the championship was a big effort.”
The Parkes team played four round games on Friday and Saturday beating Manning Valley 5 – 0, Northern Sydney Beaches 4 – 0, Bathurst 4 – 2 and Port Macquarie 3 – 0 finishing first in their pool. In the semi-final at 8:30am on Sunday morning they beat Far North Coast 4 – 1 for a place in the grand final at 12:15pm when they beat Bathurst again to become the State U18 champions.
The win also means that the team moves up to Division 1, which is where every hockey player would like to be according to Will. As most of the players, except three, are still 16 or 17 years old, the team would be able to compete again in next year’s championship.
Will said three months of hard work and preparation paid off for an amazing result. He paid tribute to first time manager Jordan Grosvenor for ‘managing a tight ship and keeping the boys in line”, and gave a shout out to the parents for their contribution to get the boys to training and travelling with them.
Will thanked the team’s sponsors: Dean Uptin’s Water Services, Railway Hotel, Kitson Manufacturing, Geoff Rice and TSG.
By Maggi Barnard