Thirteen-year-old Tahlia Smith raised the flag high for Swimming Gunnedah over the Easter weekend, making her first appearance at the Australian Age Swimming Championships in Adelaide.
In a hotly contested age group, the rising young star finished in the top 50 in Australia for her three events, nailing a personal best time of 1:02.45 in the 13 years 100m freestyle. The teenager was seeded 88th in the event and moved up the rankings to 44th position which augers well for the future.
Tahlia went on to register the cracking time of 28.57 seconds for 50m freestyle, moving through the rankings to 35th position in a fast and furious heat swim.
On Easter Sunday, Tahlia attacked the 13-14 years 50m butterfly finishing just 1.08 seconds just outside her entry time. Competitors in these sprints are often just split seconds apart.
The popular club member was supported online by the swimming families in Gunnedah and came away with high praise from observers for her efforts at such a high level of swimming. The championships proved a great experience with great prospects for future growth – even to qualify for the Australian titles is an achievement.
Club members are now looking forward to the presentation night at Gunnedah Rugby Club on May 6.
