A dozen North Coast swimming clubs hit the water in two locations, smashing records at the North Coast Short Course Championships.
The two-day event was held over the weekend of May 27-28 at Evans Head Aquatic Centre, a short drive from Ballina, and at Great Lakes Aquatic Centre in Forster.
In the North group, 134 individual swimmers (17 more than 2022) and eight competing visitors from northern NSW teams competed.
Alstonville Swimming Club. Picture: Supplied
Swimmers from Alstonville, Casino, Coffs Harbour, Evans Head, Grafton, Kingscliff, Lismore Workers, Maclean, Macksville, Nambucca, Twin Towns and Wauchope went head to head at Evans Head.
The South group included 175 individual swimmers (57 more than 2022) plus 22 competing visitors.
Swimmers from clubs in Bellingen, Casino, Coffs Harbour, Crescent Head, Forster, Gloucester, Laurieton, Macksville, Port Macquarie, Sawtell, Stroud, Taree and Wauchope made a splash at the Great Lakes Aquatic Centre.
Swimming North Coast publicity officer Faye Rowles said the competition was of a high standard.
Coffs Harbour took home first place with a club points score at 8027, Alstonville second on 7498, and Kingscliff third on 3124.
Rounding out the top ten placings were Macksville, Forster, Port Macquarie, Stroud, Maclean, Taree and Wauchope.
Many of the swimmers recently competed in the Australian Age Championships and Alstonville Swimming Club broke many a record at the National Swimming Championships on the Gold Coast earlier this year.
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Multi Class Champions
Girls: Claire McIntosh of Laurieton.
Boys: William Bradshaw of Stroud.
Distance Champions
13 and Under Girls: Bayley Johnson of Coffs Harbour.
Boys: Chase Burke of Maclean.
14 and Open Girls: Courtney Clark of Coffs Harbour.
Boys: Lachlan Trease of Alstonville.
Alstonville Swimming Club’s Lachlan Trease (back), Distance champion and record breaker.
Open Champions
Girls equal: Niquola White of Alstonville and Courtney Clark of Coffs Harbour.
Boys: Caleb Daykin of Nambucca.
Alstonville Swimming Club’s Niquola White.
Alstonville Swimming Club: Sophie Mayes.
New Short Course Record Breakers
18-year-old Sophie Mayes of Alstonville broke five records; 100m backstroke (1:07.94), 50m butterfly (29.04), 50m freestyle (28.08), 50m backstroke (31.62), 100m individual medley (1:09.10).
Teammate Niquola White, also 18, smashed four records – White shaved a solid six seconds off the 200m backstroke (2:31.68). She also set new records in 200m individual medley (2:34.36), 100m freestyle (1:01.19), and scorched 11 seconds off the record 200m freestyle with a time of 2:13.48. The previous record was 2:24.01.
Lachlan Trease, 16, of Alstonville cemented a new record in the 800m freestyle with a time of 9:09.66.
Alstonville swimming club members part of the Swimming North Coast short course championships.
8-year-old Matilda Buchholz of Coffs Harbour broke three records.
15-year-old Isla Martin from Coffs Harbour, 10-year-old Finn Carroll- Cinque of Kingscliff and 10-year-old Thomas McCormack of Casino all broke two records.
16-year-old Courtney Clark of Coffs Harbour, 15-year-old Jett Burks of Maclean, 10-year-old Zoe Lawrence of Wauchope, 11-year-old Coco Becker of Coffs Harbour, Felicity Walker Alstonville, and
Multi-Class record-breakers
16-year-old superfish William Bradshaw, of Stroud, smashed 20 new records in his age division and in the opens.
Amelia Moore, 16, of Coffs Harbour competed in both her age and open divisions breaking six records and making 12 new records.
Morgan Jean of Wauchope broke six open records.
Emily Evans, 11 of Alstonville smashed five new records; 50m butterfly (1:11.54), 50m freestyle (52.21), 50m backstroke (59.36), 50m breaststroke (1:10.33), and 100m freestyle (1:52.05).
Malachi Sharpe, 13, of Stroud made three new records; 100m freestyle (1:24.07), 50m breaststroke (55.90), and 50m backstroke (46.73).
Max Driussi, 10, of Lismore Workers set a new record of 48.55 in the 50m freestyle.