They came, they saw, they laughed, they splashed and swum like crazy during the 2019-20 Wimmera Swimming Championships at the Horsham Aquatic Centre, Saturday February 24. Lachlan Start won the 50m boys 17 and over freestyle final by 1/100th of a second then Billie Donnan won the 100m girls 11-12 breaststroke final by the smallest margin in arguably the race - and upset - of the day. The first four girls finished within 1.22 seconds of each other. Then there were Deacon Briggs and Tom Urquhart winning, respectively, the 100m boys 15-16 freestyle final and the 100m boys 11-12 breaststroke final by 3/100th of a second. Indeed winning by more than a second sometimes seemed like a 'blow out'. Fifty per cent of all gold medals were won with personal bests and almost every finals gold medal was won by a swimmer doing the absolute best they had ever done. Jorja Clode (Horsham) and Deacon Briggs (Horsham) put in exemplary and inspirational efforts with both winning not only champions sashes in their age groups, but also the open age champions' sashes. Indeed, it was a wonderful effort by all champions sash winners including: Lauren Jones (Horsham), Duncan Kirk (St Arnauds), Heidi Start, Forbes Kirk, Jack Lanyon (Horsham), Ebony Start (St Arnauds), Jesse Amos (St Arnauds), Claudia Lanyon (Horsham), Montanna Connelly (Horsham), Lachlan Start (St Arnauds), Erin Kearns (Horsham) and Madee Townsend (Horsham). Congratulations also to individual trophy winners: Dylan Ryan (Grampians) winning the Shane Hausler Perpetual Trophy (400m Freestyle, male), Jorja Clode (Horsham) winning the Eleanor McRae Perpetual Trophy (400m freestyle, female), Jack Lanyon winning the Alan Williams Memorial Trophy (12yr old backstroke), and Deacon Briggs (Horsham) winning the Rose Bowl for the highest individual points aggregate across all events at the Wimmera championships. Finally, in the club honours the Horsham Sharks won the Wimmera Amateur Swimming Association Shield for best performing club at the Wimmera championships, and Grampians Swimming Club won the Barrow Field for performances averaged out over the whole Wimmera season. But even with the 'Grand Final Swimming Day' done and dusted, there is plenty ahead for Wimmera's top young swimmers. Many will be featuring prominently in the district and regional schools swimming finals during which they will also be striving for places at the Victorian State Schools finals. There is also the Victorian Country All Juniors Competition in Melbourne. Winding up the summer season, a Wimmera team will travel to Melbourne to go head-to-head with other Victorian teams at the Victorian Country Interdistrict competition.
They came, they saw, they laughed, they splashed and swum like crazy during the 2019-20 Wimmera Swimming Championships at the Horsham Aquatic Centre, Saturday February 24.
Lachlan Start won the 50m boys 17 and over freestyle final by 1/100th of a second then Billie Donnan won the 100m girls 11-12 breaststroke final by the smallest margin in arguably the race - and upset - of the day.
The first four girls finished within 1.22 seconds of each other.
Then there were Deacon Briggs and Tom Urquhart winning, respectively, the 100m boys 15-16 freestyle final and the 100m boys 11-12 breaststroke final by 3/100th of a second.
Indeed winning by more than a second sometimes seemed like a 'blow out'.
Fifty per cent of all gold medals were won with personal bests and almost every finals gold medal was won by a swimmer doing the absolute best they had ever done.
Jorja Clode (Horsham) and Deacon Briggs (Horsham) put in exemplary and inspirational efforts with both winning not only champions sashes in their age groups, but also the open age champions' sashes.
Indeed, it was a wonderful effort by all champions sash winners including: Lauren Jones (Horsham), Duncan Kirk (St Arnauds), Heidi Start, Forbes Kirk, Jack Lanyon (Horsham), Ebony Start (St Arnauds), Jesse Amos (St Arnauds), Claudia Lanyon (Horsham), Montanna Connelly (Horsham), Lachlan Start (St Arnauds), Erin Kearns (Horsham) and Madee Townsend (Horsham).
Congratulations also to individual trophy winners: Dylan Ryan (Grampians) winning the Shane Hausler Perpetual Trophy (400m Freestyle, male), Jorja Clode (Horsham) winning the Eleanor McRae Perpetual Trophy (400m freestyle, female), Jack Lanyon winning the Alan Williams Memorial Trophy (12yr old backstroke), and Deacon Briggs (Horsham) winning the Rose Bowl for the highest individual points aggregate across all events at the Wimmera championships.
Finally, in the club honours the Horsham Sharks won the Wimmera Amateur Swimming Association Shield for best performing club at the Wimmera championships, and Grampians Swimming Club won the Barrow Field for performances averaged out over the whole Wimmera season.
But even with the 'Grand Final Swimming Day' done and dusted, there is plenty ahead for Wimmera's top young swimmers.
Many will be featuring prominently in the district and regional schools swimming finals during which they will also be striving for places at the Victorian State Schools finals.
There is also the Victorian Country All Juniors Competition in Melbourne.
Winding up the summer season, a Wimmera team will travel to Melbourne to go head-to-head with other Victorian teams at the Victorian Country Interdistrict competition.
