SWIMMING

A TEAM of 21 Mansfield swimmers headed to Melbourne on the weekend to swim at the Country All Juniors championships at MSAC (Melbourne Sports Aquatic Centre).

What a weekend.

Last Saturday saw our swimmers compete in the semi finals with 50m swims across all strokes.

For some of our team it was their first-time swimming at MSAC – and they handled themselves incredibly well.

Great job to Addi Borg, Grace Mitchell, Frankie and Zali McCoombe, Paris Hopwood, Haim Wolfe and Callum and Annella Logan Williams for making a splash on Saturday as first timers to this event.

Our eight to 11-year-old swimmers competed in the morning, and we finished the session with five swimmers making the top 10 and headed to the finals on Sunday.

Levi McCoombe and Levi Seaton both did a great job throughout the morning.

The afternoon session was time for our 12 – 16 years crew to make a splash and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

Rowena Creighton, Zac Borg and Josiah McGuigan showed that they’ve been taking their squad training seriously over the last few months with great results.

Some exceptional swims across all our swimmers with another bag of personal best times to add to the list.

With one more swimmer into the finals for Sunday, our team finished the day tired but happy.

Sunday morning saw us back at MSAC bright and early with 12 finals swims on the program.

Vivian Knight, Heidi Setchell and Edward Creighton took on the nine years 50m butterfly finishing fifth, sixth and fifth respectively.

Keziah Wolfe flew down the pool in the 12 years 50m fly to place sixth.

Backstroke was up next with finalists Eddie (fifth), Harvey Knight (ninth), and Keziah (fifth).

Eddie was back again for breastroke finishing fifth, Lara Seaton sixth and Kezi eighth.

Freestyle was the last finals race of the morning with Eddie ninth and Kezi eighth.

Out of the 12 finals swims, 10 of them saw improvements in their times from Saturday.

Our overall results were outstanding with 11 swims making the top 10 overall and another 11 finishing in the top 20.

The team brought home a huge collection of personal best times as well as a new qualifying time for the Victorian Country Championships and two swimmers qualifying for the Victorian State Sprints next January.

Team Mansfield - give yourself a pat on the back.

Coaches Alli and Amelie Walker were incredibly proud of your efforts, results and sportsmanship throughout the meet.

Thanks to our parent support crew and special mention to team managers Fiona, Briana and Rach - without your help our world doesn't go round quite as smoothly.

Sadly that's our last long course meet until October.

Bring on winter short course.