18/05/2025
*CLAQ Short Course Season Opener – What a Start!
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A huge congratulations to all our amazing swimmers who kicked off the short course season in style! From exciting first-time races to outstanding personal bests and new State qualifying times, the weekend was filled with energy, courage, and commitment. Here’s a recap of our standout performances:
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Billie B (BB) – Our super girl was on fire!
• 1st in her age group for:
– 50m Free (State time)
– 200m IM (State time)
– 50m Fly (State time)
– 50m Breast
• 2nd in 100m Free (State time)
• 50m Back – 2-second PB, 1st in age group, and another State time
• 200m Free – Huge 19-second PB, 1st place, and State time
• 100m Fly – New PB and 1st in her age group
An incredible all-round performance from Billie – what a champion!
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Camilla Selman (Cammy) – swam her first-ever 200m Fly race this weekend!
A gutsy event requiring true mental toughness, Camilla set a strong PB and placed 4th in her age group – just narrowly missing the State time.
And what a swim in the 1500m! Camilla clocked an incredible 19:09.20, taking 1 minute and 46 seconds off her previous best, and smashing the State qualifying time! Such consistent split times throughout – a brilliant effort from start to finish!
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Cooper Brooks – first race ever and already making waves!
• Clocked 38.13 and passed the State time
What a fantastic start to her journey – go Cooper!
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Ethan Lamp – just shy of the State time in 50m Free, but showing great form:
• New PBs in 100m Free (by 12 seconds!) and 50m Breast
Keep going, Ethan – you’re right on track!
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Elle Gregory – faced a challenging weekend but gave her all in the 200m IM
Great resilience, Elle – sometimes showing up and pushing through is the biggest win of all.
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Evie Molloy – had just one race this weekend, but made it count:
• New PB in 50m Free – well done, Evie!
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Jane Stevens (Bestie) – quietly smashing her goals!
• New PBs in 200m Free, 100m Fly (first time swum!), and 50m Free
Great consistency and effort, Jane – keep it up!
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Jude Ralston (Blondie) – recently moved into a new age group and stepped up:
• 2nd in 200m Free with a 4-second PB and State time
• 5th in 200m IM with a massive 11-second PB and State qualifying time
• 2nd in 100m Free with a 5-second PB and State qualifying time
• New PB in 100m Back
Amazing progress, Jude – we’re proud of your determination and results!
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Juliet Cooney – our iron girl continues to impress:
• 39-second PB in 200m Free
• 33-second PB in 800m Free
• 14-second PB in 400m Free – 2nd in her age group and just shy of the State qualifying time
• Passed State time in 100m Breaststroke
• New 3-second PB and State qualifying time in 200m Breast, finishing 3rd in her age group
Juliet turned her age and turned heads with her endurance – brilliant effort across all her distance races!
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Lexi Smart – one to watch!
• 13-second PB in 100m Free – 3rd in age group and State time
• 200m Free – new PB, 3rd in age group, and State time
• 100m Breast – new PB and another State qualifying time
Lexi is building great momentum – outstanding swims!
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Max Vaessen – his first big competition, and what a debut!
• Set new PBs in 100m Back, 100m Free, and 50m Free
• Achieved State qualifying times in 50m and 100m Free
• Just milliseconds off in 100m Back – awesome job, Max!
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Nilia Seresti – new to racing and already showing great promise:
• 2-second PB in 50m Back
• New PBs in 200m Free and 100m Breast
Great work, Nilia – a strong start to her swim journey!
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A final note:
It wasn’t easy to secure spots in this meet – entries filled up very quickly. Given the limited entry spaces and the wave of sicknesses and injuries going around, we’re extra proud of every swimmer who participated. The resilience, focus, and energy on display were truly inspiring.
Our special thanks to Melissa, Eloise, and Maya for their time and commitment over the weekend, and for the valuable feedback they provided to our swimmers.
To our amazing parents – your support, encouragement, and help throughout the meet did not go unnoticed. We are a great team – coaches, swimmers, and parents alike!
This report was written manually, and I truly hope I haven’t missed anyone or any race. If I have, please don’t hesitate to let me know so I can update it accordingly.
Go CLAQ – what an amazing start to the season!
15/03/2025