Gippsland District Swim Team Triumphs

For the 16^th consecutive year in a row Gippsland’s top swimmers have triumphed at the Victorian Country Inter District Swimming Championships held on Saturday 27^th February in Melbourne.

46 Gippsland swimmers travelled to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre to compete at the competition.

District V21 (Gippsland) was one of 9 Victorian country districts to compete and brought home the Bill Willmott Trophy for the highest aggregate team points, as well as the Sovereign Hill Shield Open Relays Aggregate Trophy awarded for the most successful Men’s and Women’s Open 4 x 100m  medley and freestyle relay events.

Gippsland accumulated 1,234 points, ahead of Geelong District (V11) with 1,014 points and Central District (V15) with 810 points.

Coach Brian Ford (Traralgon) was elated with the team’s outstanding success in all individual and relay performances. Team managers Karen Tsebelis and Richard Evans praised the swimmers for the way in which all of them conducted themselves at the Championships.

“Their team spirit and their awesome ability to organize themselves to marshall for their events just goes to show how disciplined they are,” said Karen Tsebelis

“Gippsland Swimming promotes of a culture of commitment and team work necessary for competition at this level and all of the clubs can be proud of their swimmers.”

In the 40 individual events on the program Gippsland swimmers placed in 32 of them coming home with 19 firsts, 8 seconds and 5 third placings.

In the 24 relay events, Gippsland teams came home with 17 firsts, 6 seconds and 1 fourth place.

Gippsland took out the Open relay trophy with outstanding swims from team members, Andrew O’Connor (Traralgon), Zac Strini (East Gippsland Water Dragons), Jye Thompson (Traralgon), Ben Geard (Traralgon) and Elliot Shaw (Traralgon) in the men’s medley and freestyle relay events, and Kate Sommerfield (Warragul), Georgia Tsebelis (Traralgon), Steph Morgan (Traralgon), Maggie O’Keefe (Traralgon) and Lily Collins (East Gippsland Water Dragons) in the girl’s medley and freestyle relay events.

The next event on the calendar for all Gippsland Swimmers will be the Gippsland Swimming Championships to be held over the 3 days of the Labour Day Long Weekend. An estimated 335 competitors will travel to compete at the final event on the Gippsland swimming calendar for the 2009/2010 season.

Traralgon Club has an 11^th win in their sights, and with a team of 107 swimmers they will be in full force competing against the other Gippsland Clubs for Championship honours. Warragul will field a team of 79 swimmers, Sale 41, East Gippsland Water Dragons 52, Morwell 29 and South Gippsland Bass 27.

The Championships will be hosted by Bairnsdale’s East Gippsland Water Dragons Club at the Sale Outdoor Pool and spectators are welcome to come and watch our future Australian swimming Champions in action.