Conlogue takes third-place finish in Australia

Local surfer Courtney Conlogue came up with a third-place finish Jan. 6 at the Assn. of Surfing Professionals Billabong World Junior Surfing Championships at North Narrabeen, Australia.

Conlogue, who regularly surfs Huntington Beach and last July was a finalist in the Supergirl Junior Pro at the U.S. Open of Surfing at the Huntington Beach Pier, reached the women’s semifinals round. There, she was eliminated from title contention by eventual winner, 17-year-old Pauline Ado of France. She dropped the semifinals heat to Ado by a score of 12.17 to 10.

The 16-year-old shared an equal third-place finish with 16-year-old Leila Hurst of Hawaii. In a quarterfinals round heat, Conlogue recorded the highest heat points total of the event with a score of 18.23 out of a possible 20 points. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Paige Hareb, 18, of New Zealand, to move on to face Ado in the semifinals.

Bethany Hamilton, 18, of Hawaii, defeated Hurst in the other semifinal heat and went on to finish as runner-up to Ado.

— Mike Sciacca