Warragul launch into Country Champs
To say sport has been disrupted over the past two years is an understatement, but that didn’t deter 28 swimmers from Warragul Swimming Club to qualify for the 2022 Victorian Country Championships and travel to Mildura the host city in late January.
There would have been greater representation if COVID-19 isolation hadn’t interfered, much to the disappointment of the swimmers.
Thirty Victorian Country clubs were represented in Mildura for the threeday championship event, culminating with five hundred and fifty swimmers vying for a podium finish in one or more of the eighty-four individual events or as a team in twenty-two relay events on the weekends program. The program was split over three days with individual events swam in the morning followed by a large midday break, returning for the finals of the morning events and relays in the afternoon finishing the day around 7pm.
Warragul were well represented with one hundred individual swims across the eighty-four events and making up twenty-one relay teams. Each swimmer is only able to participate in a maximum of four relay teams, making the logistics of selecting the teams challenging for the coaches.
A highlight of the event for Warragul was to have five younger girl club members make it through to finals of their events, Chloe Joiner represented in three of her six events, Girls 13 years 200m IM (6th), 100m Freestyle (7th) and finishing 4th in the 100m Backstroke final. Makaylen Di Sisto making the Girls 12 years 100m Butterfly (5th) and 100m Breastroke (8th). Jade Smorenburg in her first Country Championships taking 6th place in the Girls 11&U 50m Butterfly, Emma Pankhurst swam a 9 second personal best time to make it to the Girls 12 years 100m Butterfly finishing 6th and Isabelle Nash also provided a personal best time coming 6th in the Girls 12 years 100m Breastroke. Returning for the championships with little water time was Abi Richards who finished a credible fifth in the Women 18&O 50m Breastroke.
Continuing to provide great excitement for Warragul Swimming Club is 17 year old Callum Halloran-Lavelle, who is no stranger to high level competition. Callum qualified for fifteen events over the weekend’s program and showed his vision for further national competition is well within his reach with eleven personal best times, making it to ten finals and stepping on the podium seven times with Gold in the Boys 16-17 100m Backstroke, Silver in Boys 16-17 200m IM, 100m Breastroke, 100m Freestyle, and the Men 200m Freestyle, with two Bronze medals in the Men 100m Breastroke and Boys 16-17 100m Butterfly.
The gold medal performance with a personal best time in the Boys 1617 100m Backstroke gave Callum his 8th qualifying time for the Australian Age Swimming Championships to be held in Adelaide in April.
Adding to the medal tally was Bronze in the Boys 17&O 4x50m Freestyle Relay with team members Jeremiah Brown, Riley Griffin, Jackson Clerks and Callum Halloran-Lavelle.
Further notable performances over the weekend were by 15-yearolds, Patrick Griffin providing four personal best times from his six individual events and Sam Wells swimming superbly with four pb’s from his five individual events. Ellie Holden impressed with over 10 seconds off her Girls 13 years 100m Butterfly entry time and the younger male swimmers of Frank Millis, Jesse Griffin, Linden Chaplin and Campbell Nicholson all showed improvement with personal bests times across their events over the weekend.
Not to be outdone Ashleigh Cunico, Lily Digrandi, Kate Joyce, Amelia Millis, Sophie Millis and Isabel Oswald all improved with personal best times. Mollie Dennis had a big program with eleven individual events and is now concentrating on the State Championships in March, Shani Ballantyne made a return to representative swimming and performed well over her three individual events. Sisters, Charlotte and Steph Morland swam well in their first Country Championships as did an experienced Lexie Nicholson.
Warragul Swimming Club is proud of the 28 representative swimmers and congratulates all their performances over the weekend’s heavy program. The club is grateful to all family members for traveling the eight plus hours to Mildura for the three day event. The coaching team of Michelle Chaplin, Jo Ballantyne, Andrew Marks and Head Coach Paul Myers supported, mentored and provided excellence in their coaching in the lead up and over the weekend. Enabling as many swimmers as possible to represent Warragul at this championship event.
The club continues to focus on a demanding summer schedule of championship events with All Junior, Gippsland Championships, 2022 Victorian Age Long Course Championships and the 2022 Australian Age Championships. Warragul Swimming Club’s emphasis is not only on the qualifying swimmers but importantly the coaching and mentoring of all junior swimmers in their progression through the sport of swimming, with weekly coaching programs. If you would like to enquire of the programs provided by Warragul Swimming Club please contact Head Coach Paul Myers 0419 877 490 or the club via Warragul Swimming Club Facebook page.