STAFF WRITERS
SWIMMING
AN 128 member team of the Traralgon Swimming Club competed at the 2022 Gippsland Championships in Warragul last weekend, coming home with a raft of club and individual awards.
Traralgon won the Points Score for the 23rd year in succession with its swimmers accumulating 1871 points followed by South Gippsland Bass (1,304.50) and Warragul (642.50).
Traralgon swimmers won 75 gold, 43 silver and 52 bronze individual and relay medals over the 128 event program.
Thirty-six swimmers won individual medals with an additional 39 swimmers winning relay medals.
Girls’ vice-captain Molly Cargill (16) won the Open Individual award for females winning 10 gold, two silver and two bronze medals, swimming in 20 events over the weekend.
Twelve-year-old Kody Said won the Boys 14 years and under male award with five gold and one silver medal.
A number of swimmers broke two Gippsland and nine event records at the championships.
Jordyn Cargill (17), Caiden Gill (23), Courtney Ford (36), Olivia Baillie (14) and Kayla Pratt (14) broke individual records while Molly Cargill, Emily Auteri, Sam Sbaglia, Zoe Dowler, Olivia Baillie, Morgan McConville, Kayla Pratt, Emily Auteri, Ash Nicholes, Will Pendergast, Jordyn Cargill and Matt Jenkins were all involved in relay records.
Traralgon Swimming Club senior head coach Brian Ford said he was super proud of the team.
“What an outstanding performance from our team. Before the meet the team was challenged by a possible end to our run of victories over a generation, however they responded to the leadership shown by our coaches, team captains and parents,” he said.
“To win 23 in succession takes an enormous amount of planning, commitment and dedication by so many people and this win is in honour of our past club members who have been part of the journey.
“The club keeps producing terrific people and swimmers and this year, after losing top swimmers to interstate and overseas programs, we are regenerating from youth upwards. We, as a club of continuing improvement, could not be prouder of our achievements. We look forward to the future ahead of us.”
The swimming season is heading towards the pointy end with the five day Victorian State Championships this weekend, followed by the All Junior semi-finals and the National Championships in April.
The club will also be holding an ‘all abilities’ program on Sunday, April 3, at the Ford Swim Centre from 10am to 12 noon.
This will be a non-committal two hour program promoted by Swimming Victoria for any children who are classified as Multi Class (physical restrictions, autistic, hearing impaired, etc) and may want to try swimming as a sport.
