Author: Meet Manager

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — a few cheeky showers tried to crash the party but the sun still managed a cameo. The final Saturday morning of the season felt exactly like a club wrap: equal parts competitive, chaotic and excellent value for a weekend laugh (and yes, the chocolate trophy made a cameo too).

Big race highlights

Our open 800m Freestyle Championships were the main event of the morning and produced some cracking swims. Lincoln van Loo absolutely smashed his recent best to take out the men’s 800 in 11:41.54 (down from a 12:20.80 PB) — huge effort and deserved top spot. William Taylor chased hard and finished second (12:22.28), doing his best to live up to his cheeky season goal about Christian “slacking” — mate, you made us proud. Alberto Rapisarda rounded out the podium with another tidy swim (12:26.94), also ahead of his recent best.

On the women’s side Emilie Krog crowned the season in style, winning the women’s 800 in 10:58.82 and knocking almost 13 seconds off her recent best — what a way to finish the season. Danielle Johnston and Camille Borozan took silver and bronze respectively, while our very own Cara Parker (goal for the day: “to not die after the 800m”) finished with a smile — mission accomplished, Cara.

Chocolate, chaos and the Geribo Cup

Relay Fun Day is our favourite kind of organised mayhem. The Family 4×50 heats produced two winners who walked off with bragging rights: the Thompsons (heat 1) and the Lewis–Borozan–Hamill crew (heat 2) both swam terrific team races. Adam Christodoulou did a sterling MC job for the novelty events (boogie board, floaties, thongs and some surprisingly elegant diving attempts) — top-tier entertainment.

And yes, the Geribo Cup — the season’s tastiest prize — went to The Baidju‑Crew. The final was reseeded to keep any sneaky handicap foxes honest and, after two heats and a final, The Baidju‑Crew trudged off with the world-famous chocolate trophy (and a sugar high to match). Well swum to Cameron McLean, Lara Hartley, Linda Chalker and Shelley Baidjurak — the cup (and its lollies) are in good hands.

Club Championship wrap-ups

The Club Championship placings have now wrapped up and, subject to final checks, a big congratulations to our season champs. Christian Taylor has been unstoppable in the championship pool this year and finishes the season as the men’s Club Champion — the man collected heat wins like they were goody bags. Emilie Krog is the Open Women’s Club Champion after a season of consistent dominance (including today’s 800m win) — top work.

Special mentions: Lincoln’s 800m win added a great final-meet moment to his season; William continues to collect podiums and keep the Taylor household rivalry alive; Alberto’s season continues to trend upward; and Camille’s podium in the womens’ 800 was a lovely reward for persistent training.

Handicap Point Score battles — the close ones

There were several nail‑biters in the handicap point score standings this year. In Seniors Men it’s come down to bragging rights by the skin of the teeth — Thomas Pacey leads with 103 points, and Ian Allan is right on his tail with 102. If ever there was a rivalry for a season of “who turns up and swims consistently”, this was it. Good onya both — one point is basically a head-butt in pool terms.

Other tight finishes we loved:

• Under‑8 boys: Ellis Buchanan (84) edged out Max Thompson (83) — two youngsters trading wins all season and keeping us entertained every week.
• Under‑14 boys: Alex Sellars tops his age group with 107 — solid and consistent.
• Under‑10 girls: Jessica Pacey finished with a monster 113 points — the Pacey family continues to do the club proud across generations.
• Seniors women: Renee Carroll leads the pack with 111 points, followed by Margaret Joy (94) and Suzie Aitken (83) — a great season for our loyal ladies.

Across the junior ranks there were plenty of season-long duels, and it’s been fantastic watching families, siblings and school‑mates (remember — they swim at DASC, not for the school) push each other on the Saturday morning lanes.

Personal goals, veterans and new faces

Some favourite personal-goal moments:

• Cara Parker’s brave 800m finish — she set out not to die and delivered. Classic.
• Lincoln’s big PB in the 800 — a great season finish and reward for the training.
• Emilie Krog wrapping up the women’s season with another dominant performance — she’s been in prime form all year.

Shout-outs to club veterans and stalwarts: Phil Hayward and Gerry Tibbertsma (life members and referees/starters extraordinaire) who keep the meets honest, and David Parker keeping the timing gear going so you lot can pretend your splits are scientific. New joiners and little ones — from Astrid and Atlas Carroll to the many new Under‑8s and Under‑10s — you brought the noise and the future looks very bright (and very splashy).

Looking forward

Season’s over in terms of Saturday morning racing but there’s plenty to mull over during winter: who’ll keep training, who’ll be back hungrier next season and who will sneak in a PB at a summer clinic? The point‑score tussles (especially Seniors Men and our junior categories) will have tongues wagging at the BBQ until October — expect rematches and more hilariously expert handicap strategising next season.

Final words

Thanks to every volunteer, parent, life member, rookie and veteran who made the season what it was — competitive, welcoming and utterly ridiculous in the best possible way. Whether you came for the PBs, the Geribo Cup chocolate or the thong races (we saw you), you made Drummoyne Pool feel like home. See you at the presentations and then in October for another season of carnage, camaraderie and backyard‑olympic levels of enthusiasm.

Good onya, legends — enjoy the offseason, recover those shoulders, and start plotting your comeback already.

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — a few showers couldn’t dampen the smiles or the splashes.

What a ripper of a Saturday. The medley championships turned into a highlight reel: Harry Thompson blew the old Under‑12 boys record out of the water with a barnstorming 2:56.26 (old mark 3:05.60) — absolute legend! Christian Taylor then shaved a huge chunk off the Men’s Open record with a 2:31.06 (previously 2:36.60) and Emilie Krog smashed the Women’s Open mark with 2:42.52. If anyone needed proof that DASC still produces fireworks, there you go.

Club Championship roundup

• Under‑8 Boys — Max Thompson: another win (4 points) and a cracking improvement (3:12.22 vs recent best 3:40.55). Max is on a roll — watch Ellis Buchanan (still nipping at his heels) for the season finish.
• Under‑8 Girls — Georgina Aitken: won her medley today, adding to her poise in the pool. Christina Tripolitsiotis remains the series leader — Georgina’s chasing hard.
• Under‑9s — Edward Pacey and Cara Thompson both topped the boys/girls medleys respectively; Edward was right on his recent best and Cara sliced a chunk off hers (3:10.48 from 3:49.87) — huge PB that’ll have the family proud.
• Under‑10s — Harry Finn won the boys medley and continues to pile points up; Hannah Aitken kept her strong streak in the girls’ event.
• Under‑12 Boys — Harry Thompson’s record swim (2:56.26) doubled as the heat and the headline. Rex Wilson and Archie Sullivan battled well for placings.
• Under‑12 Girls — Alena Finn took the medley home and Neave Murdoch sits comfortably in the chase for the series.
• Under‑14 & Under‑16 — Jude Wilson, Luke Sellars (Luke’s domination in Under‑16 is getting ridiculous — 40 championship points and counting), Elizabeth Allan and her twin Charlotte continuing their family affair at the top of the girls’ tables.
• Open / Seniors — Christian Taylor (Open Men) and Emilie Krog (Open Women) claimed the big ones today — Christian putting his elite background on display and Emilie reminding everyone she’s back in town and keen. Note: a couple of DNS/no‑times in the Open medley (Paul Martin and Thomas Pacey had to cheer from the deck this time) — nobody’s perfect, and it gives them more ammo for next week.

Handicap sprints & form events — meet action

Sprint lane was chaos in the best possible way. Heats of the 50m freestyle produced heat winners across the ages — Max, Jasper, Archie, Alex, Luke, Rex, Jude and others — plenty of tight finishes and cheeky handicaps making for entertainments galore. Archie Sullivan topped the Fred Congdon 50m Butterfly handicap final — proud moment for the Sullivan clan (mum Jenny in the stands must be used to it by now!).

Handicap point score battles — who’s leading the scrum

As we head into the final stretch there are some fierce scrapings for the point score trophies:

• Under‑8 Boys: Max Thompson (81) just ahead of Ellis Buchanan (78) — two points in it, and both swam well today. Expect fireworks.
• Under‑10 Boys: Edward Pacey is running hot on 108 points — he’s the man to catch.
• Under‑10 Girls: Jessica Pacey leads on 109 — the Pacey siblings are doing the family proud.
• Seniors (Men): tie at the top! Ian Allan and Thomas Pacey are locked on 97 apiece — a proper old‑school rivalry brewing. With just a couple of club meets left, every heat counts; one silly handicap or a missed start and the trophy could flip.
• Seniors (Women): Renee Carroll leads at 105 with Margaret Joy and Suzie Aitken nibbling behind — veterans showing the youngsters how to keep scoring steadily.

Big picture: there are two club Saturdays still to go before Relay Fun Day (and the Geribo Cup on the last day). That means only a few more point‑scoring chances — plenty left for last‑minute heroics and tactical swims. If you’re within a handful of points of the leader, bring your flippers and your competitive snarl.

Personal goals & notable progress

• Thomas Pacey (Committee, 2025 Senior men’s point score winner) — “put Lynette’s coaching into practice”: he showed he’s trying, scoring in the Fred Congdon final (3rd) and generally plugging away. Keep it up, Tom — the coaching’s paying off.
• Thomas Pearson — finally arrived on time and actually swam! (And gave us a cheeky false start to keep the refs amused.) Welcome to punctuality, mate.
• Max, Harry (Thompson), Cara, Alena and Luke — all posted strong improvements vs recent bests. Those PB‑style swims will turn heads at the club and at Battle on the Bay tomorrow.
• Newer/young swimmers — Astrid Carroll, Anna Rapisarda and the littlies from Drummoyne and St Mark’s are collecting points and smiles. Keep showing up; the improvements stack up fast.

Family feuds & school bragging rights

Sibling rivalries and family teams were everywhere: the Pacey clan (Thomas, Jessica, Arthur, Edward) keeping each other honest; the Taylors (Christian and William) trading fast swims; the Allans (Elizabeth, Charlotte, Audrey) running their twin show; the Lewises (Jaxon and Skye) still both dangerous. School affiliations keep the friendly banter alive — St. Mark’s, Russell Lea, Rosebank and the Riverview crew made their presence felt — just fun to remind everyone they swim for DASC, not the school (but sure, sneak a bit of school pride in at the BBQ).

Glitches, DQs and other drama

As always, the timing gremlins and the odd DNS/DQ kept life interesting. A couple of heats had no times recorded so placings were decided on the referee’s call — thanks to the volunteers who sorted the paperwork while the rest of us supped coffee. There were a few false starts (looking at you, overly eager sprinters) and a DQ or two in butterfly/time trials — nothing the club can’t laugh about and learn from.

Raffle and off‑pool news

Cath Thompson pocketed a lovely bottle of wine from Wine Simple — enjoy, Cath — and Neave Murdoch won the Clean Swim voucher, so expect her to smell like new‑pool shampoo next week. Also: everyone was conserving energy for Battle on the Bay at Leichhardt Pool tomorrow — go smash it, DASC!

Fixtures & projections

• Only a couple of club Saturdays remain before Relay Fun Day (and the Geribo Cup) on the last day of the season — every point still matters. Seniors’ point scores (Ian vs Tom) could go down to the wire.
• Look out for the remaining championship races (100m backstroke, 800m freestyle and the big relay shindigs) — records set today mean a target on certain swimmers’ backs next week.

Final thoughts

Brilliant effort all round: veterans keeping the spirit, juniors piling up PBs, new joiners making waves and families out in force. We set records, we cheered the small victories (and the large ones), and we’ll be back next week to do it all again — hopefully with fewer showers but just as much banter. See you at Leichhardt tomorrow for Battle on the Bay — bring your best goggles and your loudest cheering voice.

Race Secretary sign‑off (with tongue firmly in cheek): keep swimming, keep smiling, and if you’re chasing points — do your starts properly. We’ve still got a title or two with your name on it.

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — a scorcher with a couple of cheeky showers that only made the swim caps glisten.

What a morning — lots of PBs, a new club record, a few theatrical DNS/DQs (thanks timing gremlins), and the usual delicious mix of kids, grandparents, bankers-turned-sprinters and people who still think a tumble turn is optional.

Headlines

• Club record alert: Emilie Krog smashed the Open Women’s 200m freestyle club record with 2:23.53 — knocking Annette Jamieson’s old mark (2:24.89 from 2018) off the podium. Big, big swim. Proudly toasted with sunscreen and applause.
• Tom Williams 50m Freestyle (Handicap) finals: Conor McLean took out the Men’s final and Charlotte Baidjurak won the Women’s final — lovely, clean finishes and well-deserved bragging rights for the week.
• Fred Congdon 50m Butterfly: Heats were swum today; the winners have qualified for the handicapped final on 7 March. Mark your calendars — that final looks tasty.
• Raffle winner: Patricia Douglas walked off with a DASC cap signed by Ian Thorpe — a cooler keepsake than any of our mid-race excuses.

Personal goals & big performances

There were some real goal-crushers today:

• Thomas Pacey — that 30-second barrier in the 50m was being stalked… and tonight it’s history. Thomas posted a finish of 29.14 in the Tom Williams men’s final. Committee member by day, 29-second menace by Saturday — congrats mate, the boardroom looks faster already.
• Edward Pacey — the meet notes happily report Edward took 23 seconds off his butterfly time. That’s not an improvement, that’s a metamorphosis. He won his Fred Congdon heat too, so expect him to be dangerous in the final on 7 March.
• Arthur Pacey — Under‑6 Boys Championship winner again. The little Pacey conveyor belt of winners rolls on.
• Skye Lewis, Luke Sellars, Christian Taylor — keep doing whatever you’re doing. Christian took the Open Men’s 200m and continues to pile up championship points (and trophies may soon need their own storage unit).

Club Championship battles — the standing feasts

Championships keep giving us proper rivalries and dominations:

• Open Women: Emilie’s record swim vaults her to the top of the Open Women’s championship tally (she’s got a perfect run of wins this season — 24 points and counting).
• Open Men & Seniors: Christian Taylor is on a roll in the Championships — winning the Open Men’s 200m and stacking up the points. William Taylor is nipping at the heels with solid swims, while seasoned campaigners Shay, Thomas and Paul are keeping the top eight lively.
• Junior classes: Arthur (U6), Max (U8 boys) and Christina (U8 girls) continue to collect Championship points week after week. Skye (U14 girls) and Luke (U16 boys) look untouchable so far — consistent winners, consistent grin-inducing dominance.

Handicap point‑score storylines — close finishes and long chases

Handicaps keep the chaos friendly and the scoreboard spicy. A few standouts and tight chases:

• Seniors Men Point Score: It’s a proper two‑horse trot — Ian Allan leads on 92 and Thomas Pacey is breathing down his neck on 88. That four‑point gap could vanish before you’ve packed away the lane ropes; expect fireworks (and polite threats) over the next few meets.
• Under‑6s: Arthur Pacey is way out front in the Under‑6 point score — a gargantuan lead and plenty of trophies to show for it. Tiny but unstoppable.
• Under‑8s: Ellis Buchanan (74) and Max Thompson (69) are locked in a great duel — only five points between them. A single upset heat win could flip the leaderboard.
• Under‑10 girls: Jessica Pacey tops the girls’ point score on 104 — solid, relentless and full of cheeky determination. Watch the Pacey clan; they travel in winner-shaped packs.
• Perpetual trophies: Winners of today’s Fred Congdon heats (including Edward and Archie among others) will race in the final on 7 March — plenty of opportunity for handicap tactical brilliance (and revenge starts).

Family affairs, school ties & club legends

DASC is family central — sibling and parent-child combos were out in force:

• The Pacey household had a cracking morning: Thomas (committee stalwart) smashed his 50m goal, Edward took a massive chunk off his butterfly time and Arthur picked up another Championship win. Family breakfast was possibly louder than normal afterwards.
• The Taylor brothers — Christian’s back from overseas smashing 200s, William putting in strong efforts too. Expect late-night sibling bragging over protein shakes.
• School‑linked crews kept the lane ropes colourful — Russell Lea, Rosebank, St Mark’s and the local primaries all represented. Plenty of school pride here, albeit with club caps not school colours (important distinction, folks).
• Club veterans and life members were present as ever — Phil, Duncan and Gerry conduct the usual grumpy‑with-affection rivalry. Gerry celebrated his birthday today (happy birthday, Gerry!) and tried for that PB on his birthday — we salute the optimism and the cake later.
• Little Georgina Aitken turned seven today — she wanted to celebrate her 7th birthday and did so in style in the pool. Happy birthday, Georgina!

Incidents & anecdotes

• Between races William Taylor got pushed in the pool by Thomas Pearson. The referee noted it with a smile; revenge has been promised. Poolside popcorn at the ready.
• Timing gremlins and a few DNS/VOID marks meant some finish times were recorded as VOID — the referee’s placings sorted positions as usual. Thanks to the timing crew and our resident gear-whisperer David Parker for keeping the system upright more often than not.

Looking ahead — what to watch

• Fred Congdon 50m Butterfly final on 7 March — today’s heat winners will duel for the perpetual trophy. Expect tight handicaps and theatrical finishes.
• There are still several championship events and pointscore rounds before the season’s big wrap (800m championships and Relay Fun Day on the final day). Plenty of points still available — anyone within a few dozen points should stay hungry.
• If you’re chasing a point‑score or trophy, don’t skip the next couple of meets — a couple of 4‑point wins and you’re suddenly in the conversation (or on the podium).

Thanks & final notes

Huge thanks to the race officials, the timing team, parents who lap the pool of chaos to keep kids fed and dry, and everyone who brings their sense of humour. The club cap raffle was a hit, the record-breaking swim gave us goosebumps, and the rest of us will be back next Saturday either chasing those split seconds or plotting gentle revenge (or both).

See you next week — bring goggles, sunscreen, and at least one mischievous tactic for the handicaps.

— Your race secretary (and proud chronicler of every tumble turn, birthday and eyebrow‑raising finish)

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — a shower or two just added a bit of atmosphere and didn’t dampen anybody’s grin.What a meet! Records fell, donuts were devoured, siblings hugged (and lifted), and our usual mix of tiny torpedoes, hard‑charging parents, club veterans and weekend warriors gave the pool a good workout. Quick roundup before I start sounding like your enthusiastic (and slightly biased) announcer:

Big moments & records

• Christian Taylor went absolutely turbo in the Open 100m freestyle and smashed the men’s record — 58.15 (previously 59.00). Nice bit of showing off, son. Emilie Krog answered back in the Open Women’s 100m free with a stonking 1:05.38 to take the women’s record too. The pool got noisy.
• Alena Finn lowered the Under‑12 girls 100m freestyle mark to 1:14.78 — nice work Alena, record books now officially terrified of you.
• The Tom Brown 50m Backstroke final had a sweet ending: Ian Allan grabbed first place and the “sweet treat” — Krispy Kreme donuts. Congratulations Ian — fastest in the water, fastest at the sugar table.

Championship highlights

• Under‑6: Arthur Pacey continues his reign in the little legends category — three wins so far and top of the age group ladder.
• Under‑8 girls: Christina Tripolitsiotis won the 50m freestyle final and is stacking up championship points — Georgina Aitken is still breathing down her neck in the season tally.
• Under‑12 girls: Alena Finn took top honours (and a new record) in the 100m — excellent PB work and a confidence boost to carry on.
• Under‑16 boys: Luke Sellars remains the man to beat — clinic performance and a perfect streak in his age championship so far.
• Open events: Christian (men) and Emilie (women) currently sit on top of the Open Championship points after this excellent weekend for both.

Handicap point‑score drama — battles worth a beer (or a choccy donut)

The handicap series continues to give us top racing and tight leaderboards. A few cliff‑hangers and rivalries to watch:

• Seniors — Men: Ian Allan holds a narrow lead on the Seniors point‑score with 86 points, with Thomas Pacey right behind on 83. That three‑point gap means Thomas can absolutely nick the lead with a strong couple of finishes over the next few Saturdays — expect tactical swims and possibly some cheeky starts from our faster lads.
• Seniors — Women: Renee Carroll (87) and Margaret Joy (78) are trotting well; Emilie Krog and Suzie Aitken are also lurking and suddenly the senior women’s leaderboard looks spicy for the run home.
• Under‑10 girls: Jessica Pacey is running hot on 102 points — proper form. Hannah Aitken is chasing but Jessica has built a comfy buffer; still, a few four‑point nights could flip it if Jessica has an off week.
• Under‑8 girls: Georgina Aitken is leading the charge on 97, with Christina on 56 — Georgie has been incredibly consistent, but Christina’s recent championship win shows she’s capable of big scores.
• Under‑8 boys: Ellis Buchanan (69) vs Max Thompson (67) — two points apart. That’s the kind of rivalry that requires noses on the wall and good mum/dad coaching from poolside.
• Under‑14 boys: Alex Sellars is out front (93) with Lincoln van Loo chasing (72). Alex has momentum — but Lincoln’s not throwing in the towel yet.

Perpetual trophies & finals on the horizon

• Tom Brown 50m Backstroke final ran today — Ian Allan scored the donuts and the win. Congratulations again to Ian and to all the finalists who produced neat, tactical swimming in that handicap final.
• Keep your eye on next Saturday (21 Feb): Tom Williams 50m Freestyle finals (men’s & women’s) are on the programme and the open 200m Championship is up as well — plenty of points and bragging rights available. A reminder to the qualifiers to bring your A‑game (and a towel).
• There are only a handful of meets left this season (including the big 800m championships and Relay Fun Day), so anyone chasing series trophies — club champs or handicap point‑score — should treat each remaining Saturday like finals week. A couple of 4‑point nights and leaderboards can flip faster than someone diving for the last donut.

Feathering the nest — family, new faces & club legends

• Family business on display as always — Pacey clan had a cracker day (Thomas mixing committee business with racing, and the Pacey family won the raffle donuts — double celebration!).
• The Taylor brothers had a moment: sibling lifting, cheering and all the wholesome showboating. Christian’s record felt like a family victory and William was right there sharing the grin — family pride at its finest.
• Shout out to our club stalwarts: Phil, Gerry and David Parker keep the meet running like a Swiss watch (an Australian Swiss watch — reliable and with good banter). Newer members — welcome aboard; the veterans will happily confuse you with lane handicaps and hand you a towel when you need one.

PBs, personal goals & little wins

• Alena’s record‑breaking swim is a massive tick next to any personal goal — even if the goal was “.” (we know that dot means business).
• William Taylor is still chasing that sub‑1:00 in the 100m freestyle. Christian’s record might make the family fridge a little crowded with medals, but William’s not far off — keep plugging away, Will.
• Thomas Pacey’s simple goal was to “have fun” — and between committee duties, racing and family raffle celebrations, mission accomplished. That’s what DASC Saturday mornings are all about.

Odds, ends & poolside goss

• Krispy Kreme = instant moral victory. Ian Allan’s backstroke win came with pastry spoils and the Pacey family walked away with the raffle’s sugary glory. Sponsors: we accept chocolate and coffee.
• It was Valentine’s Day, so there was extra love in the air — swimmers, supporters and a fair share of high‑fives. No heartbreaks, only PBs and donuts today.
• Timing quirks and a couple of DNS/DQ entries affected a few finishes (you’ll see VOID/NTs in the detailed results). Referees used placings to award points where times weren’t captured — thanks to the officials for keeping it fair and fun.

Final word: brilliant racing, great sportsmanship, and enough stories to fill a barbecue chat for weeks. If you’re chasing a late‑season surge in the handicap series, now’s the time — sprint finishes and medley madness coming up. See you poolside next Saturday — same chaos, more sunscreen, and maybe bring an extra box of donuts for the next trophy winner.

— Your race secretary (a proud combination of cheerleader and retired stopwatch whisperer)