Gunnedah swimmers braved the cold, wet and rainy conditions for a weekend of racing at Tamworth and Mudgee recently where they returned home with a swag of medals, best times and new club and pool records.
Scully Park kicked off their long course carnival on a Friday night, with 25 swimmers hitting the water over the two-day event which included a rising number of Gunnedah juniors. Cameron Sills was quick off the mark with a record in the 200m breaststroke that was previously held by Josh Spinks. Then nine-year-old also claimed Spinks’ 100m freestyle record and smashed a 29-year-old club record in the 200m butterfly previously held by Mark Ellwood. Sills touched the wall in 3:34.31 and shattered Ellwood’s time of 4:08.53. He also broke his own 400m freestyle record with a 16 second personal best time.
Josh Spinks rewrote history in the 11 years boys’ 800m freestyle (10:51.17), breaking club mate Baxter Knapman’s Gunnedah record of 11:29.75 set last year.
In the 12 years girls’ division, Eugenie Goddard continued her good form in the butterfly, nailing a nine-second personal best time in the 200m. She also picked up silver in the 100m breaststroke and 100m butterfly and a bronze in the 100m freestyle. Hannah Akinyemi (11) bagged five gold, a silver and a bronze while brother Zach smashed his personal best time in the 800m freestyle by more than a minute and a half.
Liam Smith showed huge improvement with seven best times from nine races, and bagged a gold, five silver and three bronze. His best race was the 100m butterfly where he knocked 24 seconds off the mark. Brother Max (9) came away with two gold and two bronze medals.
Kaylee Allen (10) took home two silver and Quade Young proved his training is paying off with three gold in the 50m backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.
It was bronze all around for the Burden siblings with Jorja (10) picking up five thirds while brother Lukas nailed a bronze in the nine years boys’ 200m individual medley.
Rafe Denovan picked up a silver in the 50m breaststroke and a bronze in the 100m breaststroke with sister Matilda (12) showing improvement in the 100m backstroke to claim silver. She also won the 50m and 100m freestyle and three bronze medals.
Wyatt Shorter (9) blitzed his races with five improved times, including a seven-second personal best in the 100m freestyle and breaststroke races. Darcy Mainey (12) snatched two gold, while brother Lewis (8) came home with four gold.
Coming off two record-breaking carnivals, promising junior Jimmy Fitzgerald (7) shaved another four seconds off his 100m freestyle time before collecting two bronze and a silver in the 50m butterfly, while brother Banjo showed great form in the 200m medley to smash his best time by 12 seconds and claim a silver medal. He also hit the wall in second place in the 50m and 100m butterfly, 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke, also snatching a bronze in the 50m backstroke and breaststroke events and 100m freestyle. In the junior ranks, Myles Young, Aiden Sills, Jimmy Loveridge and Campbell Denovan all came home with medals.
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