Gippsland Championships ~ 16 in a Row

An awesome weekend of performance IN and OUT of the pool with some amazing numbers to be very proud of.

Swimmers – 99

Finals, Medals & Records

Overall Points Score

Other Awards Relating To Gippies

14/under Points Trophy Winning Club

Highest Points 14/under Male Swimmer – Jordyn Cargill

Highest Points 14/under Female Swimmer – Lauren Akers

Highest Points over all Events Male Swimmer – Alex Tsebelis

Highest Points over all Events Female Swimmer – Lauren Akers & Melina deCort

 Other Awards  In or Out of Gippsland

GDF SUEZ Australian Energy: Most outstanding Swimmer within Gippsland District (Summer Fixture) –Molly Cargill

Jeremy Saunders Trophy: Most Outstanding Senior Swimmer outside Gippsland-Mikaela Cornelissen

Noelle Brajkovic Trophy:Most Outstanding Junior Swimmer Outside Gippsland-Melina de Cort

Andy Barnes Shield: Inter-club Swimming Div A (Summer Fixture) – Traralgon

Faye Staughton Shield: Open Swimming Div A (Summer Fixture) – Traralgon

Gippsland Relay Shield (Summer Fixture) – Traralgon

Record Breakers

The Story:

The Traralgon Swimming Club confirmed its standing as the powerhouse club of Gippsland swimming with  its 16th consecutive victory in the Gippsland Swimming Championships held at the Lex Glover Aquatic Centre in Sale over the long weekend.

The 3-day carnival saw some of the most exciting swim race action ever witnessed in the local region with 29 individual and relay Event records and  29 Gippsland records, falling to Traralgon  swimmers. Multi-class swimmer and member of the “Road to Rio” development squad Emily Beecroft (15) broke two multi-class records with two outstanding swims in the 50m free and 50m fly; Mikaela Cornelissen (16) smashed six Gippsland and event records, and an injury-free Ellodie Reid (15) returned to her best with two records. Jordyn Cargill (10) managed an incredible six records including  the 200m Individual Medley which had stood since 1996 held by previous Traralgon National swimmer, Brenton Ford.  Melina deCort (14) set new records in the 100m backstroke and  Connor O’Neill, at just 15 years of age, set new records in the Open 200 backstroke,  16 years 100 back (breaking ex Gippslander and Olympian Ashley Delaney’s record from 2003) and Open 400 Individual Medley (breaking the oldest Gippsland record in the books of ex Traralgon club champion Charles Ford from 1979).  Locke DeGaris knocked over the old 14 yrs 100 backstroke record, and Maggie O’Keefe (17) was at her best in winning the 17yrs and over 50m free in record time again breaking ex Traralgon swimmer Caitie Mitchell’s record from 2008. Despite a gruelling 17 event program involving over 30 swims, Alex Tsebelis (14) was at his brilliant best in setting 5 new records. Tsebelis’s efforts earned him the trophy for the highest male points scorer at the championships. The club’s relay teams also produced record-breaking performances in no less than seven events.

The club won a total of 198 medals comprising 88 gold, 61 silver and 49 bronze over the 120 event program. Boys’ club captain Caiden Gill (16) led the avalanche of medals with 8 individual gold, while Cornelissen won gold in each of the seven events she contested.  Molly Cargill (9)  and Jordyn Cargill (10) made it a golden medal haul for the family with four and five wins each with the latter’s efforts earning him the outstanding 14 and under male swimmer award. The hard-working Lauren Akers (14) took home the corresponding female award after winning nine medals which included four gold. Akers also shared the award for the highest female points scorer at the championships with Melina deCort whose tough campaign produced three gold, six silver and one bronze medal.

In a result that pleased the coaching group, the 99-strong team of Traralgon swimmers completed their  championships with wins in 24 of the 26 relays. The end result was a resounding points score victory for the club with 2037 points well ahead of next best-placed team of Warragul with 530 points.

Of the club’s up-and-coming rising stars, Oliver Haberl (8) and Xavier Haberl (10)  starred with two gold and one silver, and one gold and three silver respectively.  Ashleigh Mihaly (10)  was terrific with medals in each of the five events she contested; Ben Waller (8) is a talented up and comer winning 4 medals in 4 races including 1 gold in the 50m Free; Zoe Dowler (9) popped up with a fantastic personal best and gold medal-winning performance in the 10 years and under 50m breaststroke and Sam Sbaglia (9) won her first championship medal in finishing a close up second to Dowler in the same event. Emily Goode (12) also enjoyed a fantastic meet producing a series of season best performances that saw her finally atop the podium in the 100 back after being touched out for gold in both the 100m freestyle and 100m breaststroke.

Senior Head Coach of the Traralgon Swim Club, Brian Ford, was honoured by the Gippsland District Swimming Association with this year marking his 50^th year of his involvement in the Gippsland Swimming Championships as either a swimmer or  coach.

“I have had a long association with Gippsland swimming and in particular this meet which has a fantastic tradition. As coach of this Traralgon team and leading an outstanding coaching group, we can say this meet has produced some sensational performances from both girls and boys across all age groups from the under 8’s through to the senior 17 and over swimmers. The swimmers professionalism and determination to race hard joined by the sheer hard work of our parents is our recipe of success. It is a pleasure leading a team of people so committed to excellence hence our 16th successive win, an inspiring effort and great reward to all involved” Ford said.

Individual Medal Winners for the Club