January 2007

Victorian Country Championships

Midlands District Swimmers had another successful Country Championships campaign. Ballarat Gold's 13 year old Brandon Loader came home with four gold medals from five events, a hugely successful meet for the junior swimmer. While he dominated the 200m Individual Medley and 100m Freestyle finals he had to pull out some great performances to come home touching the wall first in both his backstroke and butterfly events.

Uniswim's sixteen year old Victoria Walter found herself in five finals and was able to snag a gold medal in the open 400m freestyle. It was an extremely tight race with her and fellow Uniswim swimmer Nikketa Anderson had to fight it out with a competitor from Traralgon for the finish line. Anderson was narrowly touched out for third place. Walter was also able to pick up a silver medal in the open 200m butterfly and was joined by Anderson, her sister Natalie and Kerrie Dendle to gain a bronze medal in the Women’s Open Medley Relay.

Matthew Amer, 22, also from Uniswim found himself in a number of finals, winning the hotly contested 18&O 50m butterfly and came out second in the sea of white water in the 18&O 50m freestyle. Amer also medaled in the open 100m butterfly coming in second and gaining a silver medal in 18&O 200m Individual Medley.

Twelve year old Tanika James of Ballarat Gold swam an amazing 100m butterfly at her first major event finishing fourth. Other Country Champs debutantes Daniel Heath and Andrew McDougall also had great meets, ten year old Andrew made two finals in his butterfly and breaststroke. He was joined by eleven year old Daniel in the breaststroke final.

Ballarat's Matthew Lyons and Gold's Courtney Fitzpatrick both had extremely busy meets making 8 individual finals each. Lyons came home with two bronze medals from the open 200m butterfly and open 200m IM and picked up a silver in the 16-17 YO 200m IM. Fitzpatrick picked three bronze in the 14-15 YO 100m Backstroke and Butterfly and in the Open 100m Butterfly. She was also awarded the Australian Coaches and Teaches Association Achievers award for her performances over the previous twelve months.

All the Ballarat club's ended the meet finishing in the top 25 clubs. Ballarat was the top performing club coming in 9th place on 486 points, Uniswim was 11th with 328 points, Gold 12th with 248 points and GCO came in 25th.

Finalists:

Ballarat Swimming Club Jake Ballis 14-15 YO 100m Breaststroke 3rd   Aleisha Barnes 18&O 50m Butterfly 2nd 18&O 50m Backstroke 4th Open 100m Freestyle 4th 18&O 50m Freestyle 2nd Open 100m Backstroke 4th   Jason Greenwood 18&O 50m Breaststroke 7th Open 100m Breaststroke 8th   Regan Hollioake 16-17 YO 100m Butterfly 7th Open 200m Butterfly 7th Open 200m IM 3rd 16-17 YO 200m IM 4th 16-17 YO 100m Breaststroke 6th   Matthew Lyons Open 200m Breaststroke 6th 16-17 YO 100m Butterfly 5th Open 200m Butterfly 3rd 16-17 YO 100m Breaststroke 7th Open 200m IM 3rd Open 100m Butterfly 7th 16-17 200m IM 2nd 16-17 100m Breaststroke 4th   Robert Lyons Open 200m Breaststroke 3rd 18&O 50m Breaststroke 6th Open 100m Breaststroke 6th 18&O 200m IM 3rd   Laurelee Phillips Open 400m Freestyle 5th Open 200m Butterfly 2nd

Ballarat Gold Josh Dew 18&O 50m Backstroke 8th Open 200m Backstroke 6th 18&O 200m IM 7th Open 100m Backstroke 8th   Courtney Fitzpatrick 14-15 YO 100m Backstroke 3rd Open 200m Backstroke 8th 14-15 YO 100m Butterfly 3rd Open 100m Freestyle 6th Open 200m IM 7th 14-15 YO 200m IM 4th Open 100m Butterfly 3rd 14-15 YO 100m Freestyle 6th  Tanika James 12YO 100m Butterfly 4th Kayne LeGuier 13YO 100m Backstroke 4th   Brandon Loader 13&U 200m IM 1st 13YO 100m Freestyle 1st 13YO 100m Breaststroke 8th 13YO 100m Backstroke 1st 13YO 100m Butterfly 1st   Ballarat GCO Daniel Heath 11&U 50m Breaststroke 6th   Melody Keath 18&O 50m Butterfly 7th 18&O 50m Backstroke 8th 18&O 50m Breaststroke 6th 18&O 200m IM 5th   Andrew McDougall 11&U 50m Butterfly 7th 11&U 50m Breaststroke 8th

Uniswim Nikketa Anderson Open 400m Freestyle 3rd 14-15 YO 100m Butterfly 6th Open 200m Freestyle 3rd   Matthew Amer 18&O 50m Butterfly 1st 18&O 50m Backstroke 6th Open 100m Freestyle 4th 18&O 50m Freestyle 2nd Open 100m Butterfly 2nd 18&O 200m IM 2nd   Kerrie Dendle 18&O 50m Backstroke 6th   Kate Murray 13YO 100m Freestyle 8th 13YO 100m Backstroke 8th   James Oakley 18&O 50m Breaststroke 8th 18&O 200m IM 6th   Natalie Walter Open 200m IM 6th 16-17 YO 200m IM 7th 16-17 YO 100m Breaststroke 3rd   Victoria Walter Open 400m Freestyle 1st Open 200m Butterfly 2nd 16-17 YO 100m Freestyle 5th 16-17 YO 200m IM 5th Open 200m Freestyle 4th   Benita Williams 13YO 100m Breaststroke 4th

Relays

Ballarat GCO
Women 17&O 200m Medley	3rd	Jessica Lowry, Melody Keath, Aislinn Predergast & Rebecca Lowry
Ballarat Swimming Club
Women 17&O 200m Freestyle   Women Open 400m Freestyle   Men 14&U 200m Medley   Men 14&U 200m Freestyle	2nd    3rd    3rd    3rd	Laurelee Phillips, Brianna Schwarz, Aleisha Barnes & Regan Hollioake    Laurelee Phillips, Alysha Brown, Aleisha Barnes & Regan Hollioake    Jake Ballis, Dylan Rodger, Matthew Norman & Brandon Olver    Jake Ballis, Dylan Rodger, Matthew Norman & Brandon Olver
Uniswim
Women Open 400m Medley	3rd	Victoria Walter, Kerrie Dendle, Nikketa Anderson & Natalie Walter

January 2007

State Age Championships

It was another successful week for Ballarat swimmers who competed at the Victorian Age Championships. Ballarat Swimming Club's Matthew Lyons had to wait to the last night of competition to win his bronze medal in the 200 metres butterfly. After a nervous start in the marshaling room Lyons finished hard in a time of 2:13.26.

Uniswim's Nikketa Anderson gained a second placing in the 15 & under 800m freestyle in a time of 9:42.97 to accompany her open bronze medal she won last week in the 1500m freestyle.

Fellow Uniswim swimmer Natalie Walter came second in the 17/18 years 200 metres breaststroke in a time of 2:53.72 mirroring her silver medal she won at the State Short Course Championships.

All swimmers will now look towards the Victorian Country Championships to be held in Mildura over the Australian Day long-weekend.

Other Midlands Finalist included Gold's Courtney Fitzpatrick and Brandon Loader; Ballarat Swimming Club's Aleisha Barnes, Robert Lyons and Jake Ballis & Uniswim's Benita Williams and Hannah Walter.

January 2007

Open State Championships

Uniswim's Nikketa Anderson made the finals in the two of the sports most grueling events the 400 metres IM and 1500 metres freestyle. Both swims were personal best times but her 1500 was the standout with Nikketa coming from behind to finish in 3rd place, 30 seconds ahead of her previous best time and achieving her first state medal.

Ballarat Swimming Club's Matthew Lyons had a busy week competing in 100 & 50 metres backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle and the 200 & 400 metres IM. Lyons made the finals of the 200 IM, finishing 7th, 200 butterfly and in a tight finish of the 400 IM ended with a 3rd placing and a personal best time.

Lyons' brother, Robert also swam making the semi-finals of the 50 and 100 metres breaststroke and competed in the final of the 200 breaststroke finishing a very respectable 10th place.

Ballarat Gold's Courtney Fitzpatrick competed in her first major final, finishing 7th Victorian in the 50m butterfly. Courtney swam two great PB times on her way to the final.