Four swimmers from the Molonglo Water Dragons: Mary Liz Partridge, Jenny Bruce, John Collis and Peter Coggins, tested themselves at the Masters Swimming Association (MSA) Nationals in Melbourne. Jenny was the only one of the four to win a prize, Jenny won a raffle prize, but all 728 swimmers at the superb Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre were winners just by being part of this magnificent, well organised event.
In addition to winning a raffle prize, Jenny got a PB in the 50m backstroke.
All four of us swam for our second claim club, the Tuggeranong Vikings, as did one swimmer from the Ginninderra Club. By being part of the 26-strong Vikings contingent we were able to swim in relays and enjoy being part of a big group.
The points we earned contributed to the Vikings total of 569 points which placed us 5th overall out of 102 participating clubs and second to the Claremont Gropers from WA in the Visitors Trophy – a fantastic performance!
The MSA Victoria Branch staged a memorable opening ceremony with some forty, mostly female, dancers. This was a big departure from the normally staid series of speeches which characterise opening ceremonies and it set the bar high for Queensland which will host the 42nd Nationals a year from now on the Gold Coast.
The social activities associated with swim meets are always an important part of a meet experience and the Vikings were well represented at the Welcome to Melbourne drinks the evening before competition commenced.
The 41st Nationals were characterised by a high level of comraderie and there were numerous relay events which engendered a strong team spirit. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience and I urge you to give thought to being part of the 42nd Nationals on the Gold Coast in 2017.
Peter Coggins