Gunnedah swimmers returned home with a big medal haul and some excellent personal best (PB) times, after heading south for their second carnival of the long course season last weekend.
Thirteen swimmers hit the pool at Woy Woy last Sunday for the Kincumber Pacific Dolphins (KPD) meet where they encountered some strong competition from clubs including Bathurst, Sydney, Newcastle, Griffith, Forster, Maitland and Tamworth.
Gunnedah competitors lined up in 70 races, nailing 39 best times and winning 16 gold, six silver and 10 bronze medals.
Aiden Sills (9) topped the PB tally with seven from seven races. He clinched gold in the 50m and 100m breaststroke where he dropped 10 seconds off the mark, and he claimed bronze in the 100m freestyle.
Aiden also shaved 15 seconds off his 200m freestyle, while his brother Cameron (11) dropped more than 12 seconds from his 400m freestyle best time and picked up gold in the 50m freestyle, butterfly and breaststroke.
Jessica Broadhead (15) blitzed her races to clock four best times and win gold in the 50m freestyle and butterfly, the 100m backstroke and freestyle and the 200m freestyle. She also won bronze in the 50m backstroke.
Wyatt Shorter (11) smashed four PB times and came away with three gold, two silver and a bronze. He won the 100m breaststroke, 100m backstroke (where he clipped 10 seconds off his best) and 100m freestyle.
Wyatt also stripped more than eight seconds off his 200m individual medley (IM) best time.
Nathan Reeves (12) collected gold in the 100m breaststroke 50m breaststroke and 100m freestyle, having recorded a 10-second improvement in the 100m breaststroke. He also picked up a silver medal in the 50m backstroke.
The four Thompson siblings had a great meet, with Tayla (12) shattering six best times. She won silver in the 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 100m freestyle and backstroke.
Ayden (9) clocked four best times and won bronze in the 100m backstroke while improving by five seconds in the 50m butterfly. Nayte (10) bettered his time in the 100m freestyle and backstroke, while Riley (14) took time off the mark in his 100m freestyle and backstroke.
Tahnee Steele (15) came home with bronze in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly, while Lukas Burden nailed three best times and knocked off 10 seconds in the 200m freestyle.
Hausfeld twins Evan and Jake rounded off with lightning swims in the 50m freestyle to crack their previous times.
Gunnedah coach Colin Marley said it was a strong weekend of performances, and he praised the kids for their sportsmanship and club spirit.
“I had three coaches come up to me and compliment our club on the support the kids showed for one another. This is the foundation of an excellent club,” he said.
“The squad is growing bigger and better and we achieved more NSW Country and State times this weekend.”
