IT WAS an exciting weekend of racing for 83 Gippsland junior swimmers as they represented Gippsland as District 21, racing at MSAC in the Country Junior District Competition.
Gippsland again led the way, retaining the title as most successful district, winning the competition for the 42nd year in a row after first winning it in 1983.
The district finished on 2631 points, with the second-placed district Central District on 941, highlighting the dominance of the region.
Captains Tahlia Maccubbin (Trl) and Hayden Rawson (Trl) led the team.
The meet was a great chance for many of the young swimmers to compete at their first state event, with the excitement of the big screen to see themselves and results on and the stands full of families watching on.
The swimmers did a fantastic job at containing their nerves and competing against the best swimmers from regional Victoria.
Gippsland coaches Trinity O’Keefe (SGB), Chelsea Spencer (Wgl), Dave Vercoe (Trl) and Lorri McKenzie (SGB) were on hand to help the swimmers with advice on racing and their efforts and team managers Josh Szkwarek (Trl), Brooke Said (Trl) and Sarah Packer (SGB) to help them make it to marshalling.
A huge thanks to the coaches and team managers for organising them all on the day and giving them the opportunity.
Their smiles in the team photos shows just how much these kids relished the opportunity.
Gippsland had outstanding results on the day, with most of the 83 swimmers finishing top 10 in an event, with some events having six to seven Gippsland swimmers in the top 10.
The event is a wonderful stepping stone for the young swimmers, with many of Gippsland’s best swimmers starting off their major event racing career as a member of the District 21 team.
Many of the swimmers on the day gained personal bests, and several of the older swimmers gained qualifying times to allow them to come back and compete at the State Sprints Championship next month.
The team included: Ada Abrecht, Mia-Rose Albanese, Quinn Armstrong, Riley Bartlett, Ivy Bevis, Beau Bigham, Eliza Biorci, Max Blackwood, Zara Brewis, Mitchell Britton, Annika Brown, Camilla Brownlow, Mason Camm, Oakley Campbell, Zara Campbell, Chloe Coates, Jazmin Cox, Arian de Ligt, Dartanian de Ligt, Ted Deery. Ruby Demetrios, Otis Evans, Allie Fazzino, Leon Fernando, Sarah Franklin, Macey Fraser, Skylar Gibson, Cayden Gunn, Eliana Gunn, Scarlett Hutchinson, Eli Hutty, Fynn Hutty, Lachlan Hynd, Reece Jones, Holly Krejzlic, Milli Kyle, Charlotte Lee, Leo Lofgren, Poppi Loft, Lathan Lucas, Tahlia Maccubbin, Aibel MacPherson, Alfred Marriot-Smith, Wilbur Marriot-Smith, Winnie Miklosvary, Chloe Morris, Righardt Nel, Summer Netzer, Emily Odlum, Ziggy Olszanski Riley O’Mara, Willow Orchard, Courtney Packer, Mitchell Packer, Heidi Peters, Lucy Pirouet, Ruby Pirouet, Taylan Pocklington, Byron Ponton, Mae Rankine, Dylan Rawson, Hayden Rawson, Mya Richer, Julian Robinson, Hannah Rochstad-Lim, Ivy Ryan, Abbie Saario, Caitlin Saario, Baylin Said, Amelia Saxon, Quinn Southall, Ruby Stagg, Hudson Styles, Xander Szkwarek, Matthew Thornby, Ryan Thornby, Angus Turnbull, Neille van Aswegen, Patrick Wendt, Kye Whiteside, Evie Whittaker, Lila Whittaker and Isabella Williams.
Results - Girls:
50m Butterfly: Max Blackwood 8y 3rd; Lucy Pirouet 8y 4th; Poppi Loft 8y 5th; Skylar Gibson 8y 7th; Courtney Packer 8y 8th; Ivy Ryan 9y 1st; Summer Netzer 9y 3rd; Chloe Coates 9y 5th; Charlotte Lee 9y 10th; Ruby Pirouet 10y 3rd; Ruby Stagg 10y 5th; Eliza Birch 10y 9th; Tahlia Maccubbin 11y 1st; Milli Kyle 11y 2nd; Aibel MacPherson 11y 3rd; Zara Campbell 11y 5th; Ruby Demetrios 11y 6th; Sarah Franklin 11y 9th.
50m Backstroke: Eliana Gunn 8y 2nd; Lucy Pirouet 8y 4th; Max Blackwood 8y 5th; Poppi Loft 8y 8th; Ivy Bevis 8y 10th; Ivy Ryan 9y 2nd; Taylan Pocklington 9y 3rd; Summer Netzer 9y 8th; Charlotte Lee 9y 9th; Macey Fraser 9y 10th; Eliza Birch 10y 3rd; Ruby Stagg 10y 6th; Ruby Pirouet 10y 8th; Tahlia Maccubbin 11y 1st; Aibel MacPherson 11y 2nd; Ruby Demetrios 11y 3rd; Milli Kyle 11y 5th; Annika Brown 11y 7th; Isabella Williams 11y 8th.
50m Breaststroke: Lucy Pirouet 8y 2nd; Poppi Loft 8y 4th; Max Blackwood 8y 5th; Eliana Gunn 8y 6th; Ivy Bevis 8y 10th; Lila Whittaker 9y 1st; Ivy Ryan 9y 4th; Zara Brewis 9 9th; Ruby Pirouet 10y 4th; Ruby Stagg 10y 7th; Hannah 10y 10th; Tahlia Maccubin 11y 1st’ Emily Odlum 11y 2nd; Isabella Williams, 11y 4th; Aibel MacPherson 11y 5th; Ruby Demetrios 11y 8th.
50m Freestyle: Eliana Gunn 8y 2nd; Poppi Loft 8y 4th; Lucy Pirouet 8y 6th; Max Blackwood 8y 5th; Ivy Ryan 9y 1st; Charlotte Lee 9y 3rd; Caitlin Saario 9y 4th; Macey Fraser 9y 5th; Taylan Pocklington 9y 7th; Chloe Coates 9y 9th; Eliza Birch 10y 4th; Ruby Pirouet 10y 6th; Ruby Stagg 10y 9th; Tahlia Maccubbin 11y 1st; Aibel MacPherson 11y 2nd; Milli Kyle 11y 5th; Zara Campbell 11y 8th; Ruby Demetrios 11y 3rd.
Relays: Girls 8-9 200m Freestyle relay 1st; Girls 10y 200m Freestyle Relay 1st; Girls 10y 200m Medley Relay 1st; 11y 200m Freestyle relay 1st; 11y 200m Medley relay 1st.
Boys:
50m Butterfly: Ted Deery 9y 7th; Hudson Styles 9y 8th; Finn Hutty 9y 9th; Otis Evans 10y 1st ; Patrick Wendt 10y 2nd; Matther Thornby 10y 3rd; Baylin Said 10y 6th; Richardt Nel 10y 7th; Julian Robinson 10y 9th; Quinn Southall 10y 10th; Hayden Rawson 11y 1st; Xander Szkwarek 11y 4th; Eli Hutty 11y 8th; Mitchell Packer 11y 10th.
50m Backstroke: Ryan Thornby 8y 3rd; Wilbur Marriot- Smith 8y 4th; Dylan Rawson 8y 5th. Leon Fernando 8y 6th; Baylin Said 10y 1st; Patrick Wendt 10y 4th; Alfred Marriot - Smith 10y 5th; Richardt Nel 10y 7th; Ziggy Olszanski 10y 8th; Otis Evans 10y 9th; Hayden Rawson 11y 2nd; Angus Turnbull 11y 3rd; Cayden Gunn 11y 4th; Xander Szkwarek 11y 9th.
50m Breaststroke: Leon Fernando 8y 1st; Wilbur Marriot- Smith 8y 2nd; Darwinian de Ligt 8y 3rd; Ryan Thornby 8y 5th; Dylan Rawson 8y 6th; Oakley Campbell 9y 5th; Alfred Marriot- Smith 10y 1st; Patrick Wendt 10y 2nd; Richardt Nel 10y 4th; Otis Evans 10y 9th; Ziggy Olszanski 10y 5th; Baylin Said 10y 7th; Matthew Thornby 10y 8th; Quinn Southall 10y 9th; Hayden Rawson 11y 3rd; Cayden Gunn 11y 4th; Arian de Ligt 11y 6th; Neill Van Asagwan 11y 7th; Cayden Gunn 11y 8th; Angus Turnbull 11y 9th.
50m Freestyle: Wilbur Marriot- Smith 8y 2nd; Ryan Thornby 8y 3rd; Leon Fernando 8y 5th; Darwinian de Ligt 8y 6th; Dylan Rawson 8y 7th; Ted Deery 9y 6th; Baylin Said 10y 2nd; Patrick Wendt 10y 3rd; Otis Evans 10y 4th; Alfred Marriot- Smith 10y 5th; Quinn Southall 10y 9th; Matther Thornby 10y 10th; Hayden Rawson 11y 2nd; Cayden Gunn 11y 3rd; Angus Turnbull 11y 5th; Xander Szkwarek 11y 6th; Neille Van Aswegen 11y 7th.
Relays: 8-9 Boys Freestyle Relay- 3rd; 10 Boys Medley Relay 1st; 11 Boys Freestyle Relay 1st; 11 Boys Medley Relay 2nd.