Swim season ends with many successes
Woy Woy Swim Club's winter season has come to an end for many of its representative swimmers.
The first weekend of July saw 20 Pirates' representatives contest 84 individual swims and six relay swims between them at the Country Championships held at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
Woy Woy Swim Club received one of its best results for many years, placing 10th overall.
Pirates' representatives Rachel Wood, Lachlan Braddish, Myles Bailey and Ethan Dodds won 17 medals between them.
Laura Ghali, Kaylah Homes, Olivia McParlane, Charlie Polson, Katelyn Smith and Sienna Inglis all helped out with the points tally by finishing with top 10 results.
This year saw Jacob Barrett, Kayla Hinwood, Jade Vadala and Tasha Oberlander debut at the competition, with all four posting personal best times and helping Woy Woy's relay teams finish with top 10 results.
Laura Ghali and Rachel Wood, both 14 years old, then qualified and swam at the State Open Championships on July 19 and 20 at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre in Homebush.
Rachel contested the open 800m freestyle and came in eighth overall.
She also placed 16th in the open 200m freestyle.
Laura contested the open 400m individual medley and finished in 14th position overall.
In the same competition, Rachel claimed second place in the 14-15 years girls 400m freestyle.
Lachlan Braddish, 11, also swam in the 13 years and under 200m freestyle event.
The Pirates then contested the State Age Championships on Augst 2, 4 and 4, again at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
Rachel Wood claimed gold in the 14 years 200m individual medley and bronze in the 14 years 200m backstroke.
Myles Bailey also claimed silver in the 13 years 200m backstroke.
Other Pirates' members Lachlan Braddish, Ethan Dodds and Laura Ghali were also successful in claiming 16 top 10 results between them.
With the short course winter season now over for most of the Woy Woy team, it is only Rachel Wood and new recruit Megan Burgess left to compete before the summer season kicks off.
Both girls will line up with Australia's best swimmers over the weekend of August 23 to 25 at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre for the Australian Short Course Championships.
Megan will compete in the open 100m backstroke and Rachel will race in the open 200m backstroke, open 200m individual medley and the open 200m butterfly.
Due to good results posted at the Country Championships, State Open Championships and State Age Championships, Rachel has also been selected as one of the state's 10 best females in the 13-14 age group to represent NSW at the State Team Short Course Championships.
She will leave for Canberra on September 18 to compete against the country's top swimmers.
Media release, 10 Aug 2013,
Sandra Wood, Woy Woy Swim Club