ACT in ACTION at NSW Championships

Three of the Water Dragons’ older members ventured to Sydney Olympic Park on the weekend of the 9^th and 10^th of April to swim with the Tuggeranong team in the Masters Swimming NSW Long Course (50m pool) Championships. They joined 17 other Canberra swimmers to come third in the interclub point score.

The point score competition once again proved the power of numbers with

1^st             Warringah                                               1631 points                   41 swimmers

2               Manly                                                       1276                                         29

3               Tuggeranong                                           956                                          20

4               Seaside Pirates                                       787                                           24

5               Blacktown                                                674                                          16

6               Ryde                                                          659                                          23

7               Blue Mountains                                      535                                          16

43 clubs competed in all including new clubs Maccabi and Vladswim, three interstate clubs and a lone swimmer from Ireland. It was heartening to see six swimmers from Coffs Harbour, which had been moribund for years.

Our three swimmers acquitted themselves well with President John Collis finishing equal 7^th in the 65-69 age group with a total of 34 points from:

2^nd              50m Breaststroke                         40.89 seconds

2^nd            100m Breaststroke         1min      34.53 seconds

3^rd             200m Breaststroke         3min      47.07 seconds

3^rd             200m Medley                   3min      33.96 second

Stalwart Paul Maggs finished 10^th in the 75-79 group with 11 points from:

6^th               50m Freestyle                   42.59 seconds

5^th             100m Freestyle                  1min      54.54 seconds

While Treasurer Gary Stutsel swam the maximum five individual events to finish 3^rd in the 75-79 group on 45 points from:

2^nd            50m Freestyle                     35.40 seconds

1^st              50m Butterfly                     48.69 seconds

1^st             100m Butterfly                   2min      10.11 seconds

3^rd             100m Backstroke              1min      45.59 seconds

3^rd             200m Backstroke             3min      57.60 seconds

Gary’s position and points reflect the result of swimming all five events.

John/Gary teamed together in the             4 x 50m Men’s 280-319 Freestyle to finish 5^th

Paul/Gary                                                         4 x 50m Men’s 280-319 Medley were 3^rd

John’s team finished 2^nd in the                   4 x 50m Men’s 200-239 Medley

and                                               6^th  in the                4 x 50m Mixed 200-239 Medley

Gary’s team                                3^rd in the                 4 x 50m Men’s 280-239 Medley

2^nd in the                                    4 x 50m Mixed 240-279 Freestyle

and                                              2^nd in the                4 x 50m Mixed 240-279 Medley

Between them the “boys” helped to score a remarkable 198 of Tuggeranong’s 956 points. Their efforts together with the presence in the team of Ginninderra’s Joan Bratton highlight the desirability of a combined ACT team to contest Branch and National Championships.