All Junior

Athletes from the Traralgon (TSC) Swim Club took all before them at the Victorian All Junior Country Swim Championships held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) last weekend.

With heats held on the Saturday and only the top 10 fastest swimmers progressing to the finals on the Sunday morning, competition for the coveted finals spots proved fierce.  At the conclusion of the heat session, 33 of the club’s total representation of 48 swimmers at the championships had achieved their initial aim of swimming fast enough to earn a spot in the finals held on the Sunday.

14 of the club’s swimmers qualified as the fastest swimmer for the Sunday finals, so anticipation was high that the club could return a record gold medal haul. In the end, 11 new Victorian All Junior champions including 4 dual champions from the Traralgon Swim Club were crowned – Xavier Haberl (10 yrs boys butterfly), Jordyn Cargill (10 yrs boys 50m breaststroke), Thomas Bouquet (13 yrs boys 50m breaststroke), Locke DeGaris (14 yrs boys 50m butterfly and freestyle), Molly Cargill (9yrs girls 50m butterfly and freestyle), Sophie Waller (11 yrs girls butterfly), Emily Goode (12 yrs girls backstroke and breaststroke), Sadira Snell (13 yrs girls butterfly and freestyle), Lylana Anstee (13 yrs girls breaststroke), Lily Zee-Verner (14 yrs girls breaststroke) and Melina deCort (14 yrs girls freestyle).  Of the champions, Haberl produced his best fly swim of the season at the right time to dominate the event (Haberl also won silver in the breaststroke and freestyle), Bouquet surprised his rivals with a brilliant winning swim in the breaststroke from lane 8, Sadira Snell returned to form with outstanding PB swims in both her events, and Lylana Anstee managed what has been an elusive gold with a tremendous PB swim in the breaststroke. Anstee capped off her outstanding weekend of swimming with silver in the freestyle and a bronze in the backstroke. Goode continued where she left off from the Gippsland championships with strong wins in the breaststroke and backstroke, and a close-up bronze in the freestyle.

By weekend’s end, TSC had produced a remarkable medal haul of 36 that, in addition to the 15 gold, included 15 silver and 15 bronze medals.

Noteworthy performances by others included the swim of Caydence Bezzina (11) in the freestyle. An outsider going into the event, Bezzina went close to stealing the gold with a remarkable swim in the final that saw her drop almost two seconds from her heat time. Ben Waller (8) and Oliver Haberl (9) were best of the younger group with two medals each. Waller won two silvers in the backstroke and freestyle while Haberl won silver in the breaststroke and a bronze in the butterfly. Elayna Pistrin (12) produced a great swim to take silver in the butterfly, and Will Pendergast (10) did well to qualify for three finals. Zoe Dowler (9) was applauded for her determined swim in the final breaststroke which followed a mishap off the blocks.

The club’s 3-strong group of debutante swimmers held their composure on the MSAC big stage and are certain to have benefited greatly from the experience. Of the three, Abbey Warner (8) celebrated her first All Juniors competition with a bronze in the butterfly, Samuel McCluckie (8) made the final of the breaststroke, and Sienna Affleck’s (8) narrowly missed the finals with best result of 11^th in the breaststroke.

The Numbers!

48 swimmers represented
33 swimmers made one or more finals, exceeding the club’s goal of 30.
20 individual medallists
36 medals including 15 Gold, 15 Silver and 6 Bronze

Boys

8 years
Samuel McLuckie – 1 Final (Br)
Ben Waller – 2 Silver (Bk, Fs)

9 years
Oliver Haberl – 1 Silver (Br), 1 Bronze (Fl)

10 years
Jordyn Cargill – 1 Gold (Br)
Xavier Haberl – 1 Gold (Fl), 2 Silver (Br, Fs)
Will Pendergast – 3 Finals (Fl, Br, Fs)

11 years
Samuel Reid – 1 Final (Fl)
Aidan Bell – 1 Final (Bs)

12 years
Thomas Bouquet – 1 Gold (Br)
Tom Dowler – 1 Final (Bk)
Jake Cranwell – 1 Final (Bk)

13 years
Kieran Georgeson – 1 Bronze (Fr)
Matt Trickett – 2 Finals (Bk, Br)

14 years
Locke DeGaris – 2 Gold (Fl, Fs), 1 Silver (Bs)

Girls

9 years
Molly Cargill – 2 Gold (Fl, Fs), 1 Silver (Bk)
Abby Warner – 1 Bronze (Fl)
Zoe Dowler – 1 Final (Bs)

10 years
Ashleigh Mihaly – 2 Finals (Fl, Fs)
Samantha Sbaglia – 1 Final (Bs)

11 years
Sophie Waller – 1 Gold (Fl), 1 Silver (Bs)
Caydence Bezinna – 1 Silver (Fs)
Rachael Sbaglia – 2 Finals (Bk, Bs)

12 years
Harliai Curthoys-Davies – 1 Silver (Fs), 1 Bronze (Fl)
Elayna Pistrin – 1 Silver (Fl)
Emily Goode – 2 Gold (Bk, Br), 1 Bronze (Fs)
Neisha Ablett – 2 Finals (Bk, Fs)

13 years
Sadira Snell – 2 Gold (Fl, Fs)
Lylana Anstee – 1 Gold (Br), 1 Silver (Fs), 1 Bronze (Bk)
Mia Hamley – 1 Silver (Bs)
Bridget Cain – 1 Final (Fs)

14 years
Lily Zee – Verner – 1 Gold (Bs)
Alice Peddle – 2 Silver (Fl, Bk)
Melina deCort – 1 Gold (Fs)
Alexis Mentzing – 1 Final (Bs)
Lauren Akers – 2 Finals (Bk, Bs)