Author: Meet Manager

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Results Week 5

The results for Saturday 8 November 2025 have been published here.

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — partly cloudy but pleasantly fresh.

What a ripper morning of swimming, chaos and tiny victories. The much-loved (and occasionally confusing) George Wheaton 50m BBB heats were on today — the heat winners have punched their tickets to the final on 29 November, so keep your goggles handy. The refs did heroic work when a timing gremlin struck (more on that below), but the pool still served up a stack of PBs, close finishes and the kind of friendly rivalries that keep our Saturday mornings entertaining.

Highlights & good yarns

  • Christian Taylor put on a clinic — swam his 400m freestyle using backstroke and still topped his heat. Class act. Makes the rest of us look like we forgot what a turn is.
  • Emilie Krog’s butterfly drew ooohs and ahhhs from the bank — and she backed it up by winning her 50m heat (improved on her recent best). Stylish and fast.
  • Young guns and regulars piling up PBs: Edward Pacey (50m), Aodhan Perkins (50m & 200m), Margaret Joy, Renee Carroll, Alex Sellars, Giselle Hamill, Neave Murdoch (a teensy 0.02s PB in her 50m), Ellis Buchanan (turned his earlier DNS into a win), Emilie and Shay Donnellan — excellent work. Every PB is worth a round of applause (and sometimes a Tim Tam).
  • Special mention to Thomas Pacey — living his goal by enjoying the best club in Sydney. You’re doing it right, Tom.
  • Club business: Elizabeth Allan and Shay Donnellan were elected as Club Captains for 2025/26 — congrats to both. Expect order, or at least very organised chaos.

Handicap shenanigans & timing gremlins

Handicaps did their usual job of making races obvious nail-biters. A couple of lanes looked like they’d been invaded by invisible swimmers this week — we had several DNS and a particularly messy Heat 5 in the 50m where the timing recorded zeros and a handful of finish times came back as VOID. The ref awarded placings so nobody left empty-handed, but we’ll be double-checking gear and timers next Saturday. Thanks to the refs and David Parker (our timing fixer) for juggling the gremlins with a smile.

Who won what today (quick tour)

  • 50m freestyle heats — winners included Edward Pacey, Aodhan Perkins, Renee Carroll, Giselle Hamill, Emilie Krog and Ellis Buchanan. Heat 5 was affected by the timing glitch (VOID entries) but the ref sorted the placings.
  • Short sprints and time trials — Xiomara put in a time trial, Jack Corbett posted a tidy TT, and a couple of youngsters (Alexander & Xavier Shelby) battled in the 20m/30m races with Alexander taking a close one.
  • Form strokes — Christian and Jack slugged it out in a 50m back TT; Jessica Pacey claimed top spot in a 30m back heat.
  • Long stuff — our 400m and 200m heats produced strong swims from Ian & Lyndal Allan, Thomas Pacey, William Taylor, Neave Murdoch (great 200/400 form), Luke Sellars and more. Christian’s 400m (backstroke for the full distance) was the headline act.
  • Relays — no relays today, just the usual solo mayhem.

Pointscore battles heating up

The series leaders are settling into position but there’s plenty still to race for — margins are tight in several grades. Quick snapshot of the tussles to watch:

  • Seniors — Christian Taylor leads on 27 points, with Duncan Lyon and Thomas Pacey nipping at his heels on 26 each. Three-way scrap brewing — it’s anyone’s game if Christian has an “off” week (and he’s human… maybe).
  • Seniors Women — Jenny Gaskin sits on 32 while Renee Carroll and Suzie Aitken are locked on 27 each. Emilie Krog (25) is getting closer after today’s impressive displays — a couple of big points in the next few meets and she’s in the mix.
  • Under 12 Boys — Aodhan Perkins is storming away on 41. Archie Sullivan (33) and Yunos Yaqub (23) should still keep trying — Aodhan’s consistent scoring is the kind that takes trophies.
  • Under 12 Girls — Neave Murdoch (37) and Alena Finn (36) are in a proper two-horse race. Both were strong today — expect fireworks over the next few months.
  • Under 10s & below — Edward Pacey (U10 boys, 33) and Jessica Pacey (U10 girls, 34) are both leading their grades; Georgina Aitken (U8 girls, 40) and Arthur Pacey (U6 boys, 45) are dominating their age groups. Under 14 boys have a corker of a tie: Lincoln van Loo and Alex Sellars both on 38 — sibling/age-group bragging rights coming soon.

Rivalries, family feuds and friendly trash-talk

  • Old mates Phil Hayward, Gerry Tibbertsma and Duncan Lyon are still trading barbs and points — Phil wants revenge on Rosie and Gerry, and Rosie is cheerfully chasing them down in almost every race. Classic DASC rivalry material.
  • The Pacey family put in a huge showing — Thomas enjoying every minute, his kids (Edward, Arthur and little Arthur’s siblings) splashing and scoring, and Emma not far behind. Family points table expanding rapidly.
  • Taylor brothers: Christian and William both on deck — one showing elite pedigree, the other reminding us all he was once club champion. Sibling bragging rights on the line.

Notable PBs & “that’ll do” moments

PBs and improvements were everywhere — Edward, Aodhan, Margaret, Renee, Alex, Giselle, Neave (by a whisker), Emilie, Shay and Ellis all shaved time off their recent bests. And for everyone who didn’t get a PB: you still showed up, finished and made a parent proud. We’ll call that a win.

What’s coming up — keep your eyes on these

  • George Wheaton 50m BBB final: 29 November — if you won a heat today, you’ll be lining up for the final. Expect tactical strokes, dramatic finishes and the Wheaton family presenting the trophy.
  • Handicap finals and other trophy races: lots of heats across the season, so keep stacking points — the pointscore leaders above still have plenty of opportunities to extend or lose their leads.
  • Next few meets will include backstroke and medley events and more long-distance races. If you’re chasing series points (or a chocolate Geribo Cup down the track), now’s the time to keep coming back.

New joiners & veterans

Lovely to see new faces and returning squad swimmers — Shay Donnellan (new Junior Technician and now Club Captain — big jump!), Emilie Krog back from uni swim days, and our stalwarts like David Parker keeping the timing gear mostly in one piece. Life-members and older swimmers (we see you, Mark, Gerry, Phil) continue to set the tone: show up, race, have a laugh, help the kids learn the ropes.

Final bits

If your name got called today — congrats. If it didn’t — see you next Saturday and bring a towel, a smile and maybe a spare stopwatch in case the timing box decides to nap again. Great effort from everyone — PBs, near-misses, gutsy swims and more tea than should be allowed on a pool deck. Keep training, keep laughing, and keep cleaning up your lane after you leave.

See you next Saturday — sun, wind or whatever the Bureau has planned. Same time, same place, same glorious mayhem.

Note: The above meet report was automatically generated using an artificial intelligence tool. While care is taken to ensure that the information in this report appears reasonable, please contact racesecretary@drummoyneswimclub.com.au if you would like to provide any feedback on this content.

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George Wheaton 50m BBB Handicap – Qualifiers

The finalists for the George Wheaton 50m BBB Handicap to be held on 29 November 2025 are as follows:

ID Name Stroke
1324 Yunos YAQUB Backstroke
1875 Aodhan PERKINS Backstroke
619 Duncan LYON Breaststroke
1286 Shay DONNELLAN Breaststroke
770 Lukas TAYLOR Breaststroke
714 Kellen PARKER Backstroke
2003 Emilie KROG Butterfly

 

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Results Week 4

The results for Saturday 1 November 2025 have been published here.

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — partly cloudy and pleasantly mild.

What a ripper of a Saturday: swimmers of all ages turned up, did their thing, and left the announcer with more stories than he had whistle-pips. The timing gear survived (thanks, David Parker), the starter’s grin was on full display (Gerry), and Phil kept the refereeing dignified while plotting his next cheeky comeback. UV was high, so plenty of sunscreen was slapped on between races — slip, slop, slap, then cannonball (gently).

Big picture / meet overview

  • No Club Championship races this week — that means no scratch-champ mayhem — but the Geoff Roper 200m Freestyle Handicap heats rolled out and produced some solid qualifiers for the final on 22 Nov. Winners of today’s heats will be the ones to watch.
  • Lots of handicapped sprint, form and long events across the card — plenty of PB chases, a few DNS/DNFs (life happens), and the usual joyful chaos of our Saturday mornings.

Geoff Roper 200m Freestyle (Heats)

  • Duncan Lyon absolutely nailed his stated goal — he won Heat 1 and booked his spot in the Geoff Roper final. Mission accomplished, and a perfect answer to his plan to “qualify for the final by winning today’s heat and beat Gerry and Phil.” Cue the smug grin.
  • Other heat winners who punched their ticket: Renee Carroll (Heat 2), Liam Gooley (Heat 3), Lyndal Rapisarda (Heat 4), Jude Wilson (Heat 5) and Emilie Krog (Heat 6). That line-up should make the 22 Nov final a proper tussle — expect plenty of strategy, tactical wheeling and harmless gloating afterwards.
  • Heads up: Duncan, Phil and Gerry have the makings of an old-school rivalry; with Duncan through from Heat 1 and Phil still in the mix from other events, the Geoff Roper final could be an entertaining replay of the “who can out-handicap whom” saga.

Sprint & Form Highlights

  • Christian Taylor — back from his NYC scholarship and still a menace in the pool — took Heat wins and showed flashes of the elite turns we remember. He led a few fields today and kept his name up near the top of the Seniors point score. Can he get back to those 23/26 PBs? Time (and a few more coffees) will tell.
  • Phil Hayward, always game, won his 100m freestyle heat and kept up his witty personal goal about “bearing” Rosie and Gerry — Phil’s form and race-craft remain top-shelf for a life member.
  • Young guns and little legends: Arthur Pacey continues to dominate the Under‑6 boys leaderboard (three heat wins today), while Max Thompson is doing a sterling job in the Under‑8s — both lads are stacking points and smiles in equal measure.
  • Skye Lewis and Camille Borozan delivered strong swims in the shorter events — Skye within sniffing distance of her PBs and Camille knocking off a tidy time-trial. Skye’s still chasing that 100m breast PB — keep at it, Skye!

Form stroke wins & PB chases

  • Alex Sellars took the 100m breast heat in fine style — he’s working toward consistency and picked up the win today, showing the improvements that helped him last season.
  • Neave Murdoch and Harry Finn were among those who cleaned up in the shorter breast heats; Neave’s 50m breast win was a beauty and keeps her right in the Under‑12 girls’ title chase.
  • Renee Carroll used today for a time trial in the 100m breast and came away with a solid result — the long game is paying off.

Handicap Point Score — the close battles

The season standings are shaping into some excellent rivalries. A few headlines:

  • Under‑12 Boys: Archie Sullivan (30) and Aodhan Perkins (29) — one point between them. Aodhan’s big day (multiple placings including heat wins) keeps this neck-and-neck; Archie’s consistency means he won’t give it up without a fight. Expect tactical entries from both in coming weeks.
  • Under‑14 Boys: Lincoln van Loo is leading the pack on 38 with Alex Sellars chasing on 29. Lincoln’s stacking points across sprints and longs; Alex has the speed to reel him in if he keeps showing up to the short stuff.
  • Seniors (Men): Christian Taylor and Duncan Lyon tied on 20 apiece — lumps of bragging rights on the line for both. With both swimming strongly, the next couple of meets could swing the senior men’s series either way.
  • Seniors (Women): Jenny Gaskin (25) is out front with Suzie Aitken (22) and Renee Carroll (19) close behind. Plenty of points still available, so the ladies’ battle is far from over.
  • Under‑8 Girls: Georgina Aitken is storming away on 30, with Christina Tripolitsiotis on 21. Georgina’s been collecting wins like seashells — an impressive run for our youngest competitors.

Families, school crews & rivalries

  • The Pacey clan were out in force — Thomas, Emma (mum), and the kids (Edward, Jessica, tiny Arthur). Arthur and Edward both had excellent short-course efforts; Jessica added more points in the Under‑10 girls’ series. Family bragging rights remain hotly contested at the barbecue.
  • The Allan twins (Elizabeth and Charlotte) continue to be a local phenomenon — Elizabeth still leading the Under‑16 girls’ standings and always trying to “beat dad” (Ian Allan). Dad’s doing his best to stay competitive in the 35+ events.
  • We had school connections popping up around the pool — kids from Russell Lea, Rosebank and other local schools all racing for the Club (not the school teams, of course). Great to see the community mix: old-timers like Patricia Douglas and newcomers joining the younger lanes.
  • Rivalries to savour: Gerry vs Duncan vs Phil (classic), Christian vs the clock (return-to-form), and Archie vs Aodhan (junior showdown). Keep the banter friendly, folks — the water’s for swimming, the coffee’s for the rest of it.

New joiners, veterans & off-pool notes

  • Welcome to our new juniors who made a splash in time trials — lovely to see new faces like Ellis Buchanan and the Gooley youngsters getting involved.
  • Big cheers to our veterans and volunteers: David Parker (timing fixer extraordinaire), Phil (referee), Gerry (starter) and our Committee peeps (Thomas Pacey and others) who keep the whole circus running.
  • Points of interest: Cara Parker (now a London paramedic) was missed today but remains a club legend when she drops in. Christian Taylor’s return from his US scholarship is a highlight — great to have him back swimming with mates.

Drama, DNS and DQ (gently delivered)

  • As always, a few DNS/DQs crept in — Belle Paton and a handful of others had paperwork or timing issues resulting in VOID/DNS marks. No drama beyond a shrug and a promise to come back hungrier next week. If you’ve ever had a “-7.00” finish time, you know the story: life, kids, alarm clocks.
  • Luke Sellars had a DQ in a 100m breast heat but still contributed strong racing elsewhere — chalk it up to racing hard and learning fast.

Looking forward — what to watch next

  • Geoff Roper final on 22 Nov — heat winners today have the bragging rights, but the final will be where reputations are made. Duncan, Renee, Jude, Emilie, Liam, Lyndal and the rest will be fighting for that perpetual trophy.
  • Handicap point-score battles are tight in several age groups — Archie vs Aodhan (Under‑12 boys) and Christian vs Duncan (Seniors men) are must-see rivalries over the coming weeks. A single 4‑point heat win can change everything.
  • Keep an eye on Under‑14 and Under‑16 fields — Lincoln, Alex, Luke and Elizabeth are all within striking distance of moving up the leaderboards if they target certain events.

Final word: great grit and big smiles all round. Whether you came for a PB, a bit of gentle revenge on a sibling, or to qualify for a final (looking at you, Duncan), you did the Club proud. See you next Saturday — sunscreen on, banter ready, and cheers to more personal goals ticked off (no bellyflops, Clare!).

Note: The above meet report was automatically generated using an artificial intelligence tool. While care is taken to ensure that the information in this report appears reasonable, please contact racesecretary@drummoyneswimclub.com.au if you would like to provide any feedback on this content.

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Results Week 3

The results for Saturday 25 October 2025 have been published here.

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — partly cloudy with a cheeky shower or two that only made the dragon-boat racing across Iron Cove Bay look more dramatic.

What a ripper of a Saturday — first butterfly and medley fixtures of the season brought plenty of brave first-timers, a few glorious upsets, some classic family tag-team swims and the usual mixture of heroic flapping and effortless speed. The crowd got to watch dragon boats, several spectacular finishes and a handful of “who forgot the stopwatch?” moments. The UV was very high (yes, slather on the sunscreen) and the fire-danger meter is flashing “High” — so keep the hot chips metaphorical, folks.

Meet highlights & cheeky call-outs

  • New junior tech Shay Donnellan (welcome, Shay!) showed he’s not just good at laptops — he topped his 50m free heat in 30.91 and scored a solid 4-point haul for the Under‑14s. Nice work, mate.
  • Alena Finn continues to boss the Under‑12 girls — she’s on 32 points and looked comfortable winning her long swims and nailing a few technical bits in the medley. Watch out for challengers Neave Murdoch and Pia Passarelli (both sitting on 19) — the gap’s healthy but not unbridgeable with the season still young.
  • Neave Murdoch had a cracker: winning a 50m free heat, strong butterfly and top spot in the 4×50 medley heat — she’s the one to watch for the mid-season fireworks.
  • Under‑10s were full of scrappers. Jessica Pacey scored well again and remains top in her age group (20 points) while Oscar Sullivan (17) and Harry Finn (15) are in a proper tussle in the Under‑10 boys — a few more weekends like this and we’ll need a scoreboard in the car park.
  • Big shout to Thomas Pacey — swimming on a pair of broken ribs (from his hockey final!) — you absolute legend. He’s chasing sub‑30 in the 50 free (his PB sits at 29.91) and was competitive today, but the sub‑30 will have to wait a little longer. Keep at it, Thomas — the ribs (and the hill work) will forgive you eventually.
  • Christian Taylor made a statement return from his US scholarship with solid finishes and blistering handicap splits — the guy still remembers how to move through the water. Sibling rivalry with William (and younger Lukas) continues to spice up the heats.
  • Veteran stalwarts and officials: Phil Hayward (referee) and Gerry Tibbertsma (starter) kept the chaos organised — Gerry’s “old Dutch foxer” charm remains undefeated. David Parker saved the meet again by keeping the timing kit behaving like a civilized machine.
  • Welcome back appearances: Emilie Krog (university chum of Christian) turned a few heads with a tidy 30.98 in a 50m free heat and 32.53 in a butterfly time trial. Lovely to see guests and new faces mixing it in.

Close battles in the Handicap Point Score — who’s creeping up?

  • Seniors (Men): It’s anyone’s game. Thomas Pacey, Adam Christodoulou, Paul Martin, Duncan Lyon and Denver Pelly are all sitting tight on 13 points apiece — no clear runaway leader. Plenty of points still available this season, so expect hair-raising finishes and tactics like “go out fast, then hang on.”
  • Seniors (Women): Jenny Gaskin leads the pack on 18 with Suzie Aitken nipping at 17 — a one-meet swing could change the lead. Both are securing important points in the medleys and butterfly rounds.
  • Under‑14 boys: Lincoln van Loo has a nice buffer on 28, but Alex Sellars (22) and Arden Hartley (16) are closing in. If Alex brings another 4‑pointer in a sprint next week, this one will sizzle.
  • Under‑12 boys and girls: Archie Sullivan (27) and Alena Finn (32) are building commanding seasons, but the youngsters at DASC are improving fast — we’ll be seeing lead changes yet.

Notable personal goals & progress

  • Thomas Pacey — still chasing the sub‑30 50m free while battle-scarred from winter hockey. Today wasn’t the day, but guts and determination count for more than decimals on a stopwatch.
  • Skye Lewis — after edging under her recent barrier in close races, she’s sitting pretty in Under‑14 girls with consistent 4‑point showings. Keep that momentum.
  • Charlotte & Elizabeth Allan — both aiming for faster than 35s in the 50 free. Elizabeth posted a 36.31 finish today; with a tweak to the start and a sprint off the turn she’ll have that 35s barrier in her sights soon.
  • Plenty of little legends tried butterfly for the first time — Cara Thompson bravely had a crack at 50m fly and the full IM; Jessica, Anna and Georgina all had moments to be proud of. First attempts deserve the loudest applause.

Fun (and slightly annoying) admin bits

  • Timing gremlins and “VOID” situations: a few races had issues (e.g., timer not used on a 50m free resulting in VOID for one heat, and several DNS / no-time recordings). Race referee decisions stood in for clock times and points were awarded accordingly, but please — if you’re rostered as Timer A, bring your stopwatch and your A‑game.
  • Disqualifications: a couple of butterfly/arms DQs in the 20m and 4×30 medley heats — nothing malicious, just learning curves. We’re a club that celebrates technique as well as enthusiasm, so expect gentle rib‑taps from the officials.

Looking ahead — what to watch next week

  • Next Saturday (1 Nov) we’ll have heats for the Geoff Roper 200m Freestyle (Handicap) — a big one for long‑distance point score contenders. If you qualified today in medley or long events, make sure you’re rested and don’t skip breakfast.
  • Keep tracking the tight seniors’ leaderboard — with lots of meets left, a single 4‑pointer can vault you up the table. Expect strategy to creep into starts and turns (and the odd advantageous lane allocation).
  • Junior families: keep encouraging the little ones to try the form strokes — today proved that a first butterfly attempt can be equal parts hilarious and vastly rewarding.

Final word: brilliant effort by everyone — from clubs’ newest splashers to our seasoned campaigners. The sun (and a stray shower) put on a show, the dragon boats provided free entertainment and the scoreboard quietly filled up with the kind of close results we love. See you next Saturday — don’t forget sunscreen, a towel, and someone reliable to hold the stopwatch.

Note: The above meet report was automatically generated using an artificial intelligence tool. While care is taken to ensure that the information in this report appears reasonable, please contact racesecretary@drummoyneswimclub.com.au if you would like to provide any feedback on this content.

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Results Week 2

The results for Saturday 18 October 2025 have been published here.

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool, partly cloudy but sunny enough for a splash and a pleasant north-easterly breeze.

Week 2 delivered the usual glorious chaos: kids, grandparents, new faces and old salts mixing it up in the lanes. Leni was on photography duty (fancy SLR, Insta glory); the timing system threw a wobbly in a couple of races (races 8 & 9) which left a few VOID/DNS entries — hats off to the race officials who sorted placings by eye and kept the show on the road.

Big moments & highlights

  • Pia Passarelli backed up her improving form with a tidy win in the 100m handicap (finish 1:50.72) — good on ya, Pia, keep chasing those PBs.
  • Skye Lewis continues to lead the charge in the girls’ sprints, taking her 100m heat (finish 1:21.68) and showing she means business this season.
  • Alena Finn is on fire — another dominant day (100m finish 1:14.80 and strong long-distance performances). With 23 series points in U/12 girls, she’s looking very hard to catch.
  • Lincoln van Loo continued his brilliant long-distance form, taking his 400m heat in a very respectable 5:36.60 (handicap finish) — proud moment for the Under 14s captain.
  • Youngsters making their mark: Arthur Pacey (Under 6) dominated again across multiple events and now sits comfortably atop his age group with 19 points — the Pacey clan are not here for a casual dip.
  • Veterans still showing the youngsters how it’s done — Denver, Phil, Thomas and others slugged it out in men’s heats and the seniors point score is shaping into a tasty battle.

Personal goals, grit and good humour

  • Thomas Pacey — committee member, racing with the legend status of broken ribs from hockey — put in a gutsy 400m time trial (6:39.87). His stated goal is to do tumble turns every length in the 400m; he got the distance done, and whether he nailed every tumble we’ll cross-examine him at the coffee afterwards. Either way — top effort.
  • Rose Tunstall continues her weekly reliability mission (“never misses a Saturday”) and is chasing down Phil for bragging rights — Rose: keep it up, Phil’s still practising his sassy stopwatch stare.
  • Newer faces and returning guests (Cath Thompson, Georgie Chalker, Cara Thompson, others) had their first or early swims for the season — lovely to see you jump in and have fun.

Handicap point score — the battles heating up

Handicap points mean anyone can have a day — and many did. A few intriguing leaderboards to watch:

  • Under 12 Girls: Alena Finn is pulling away with 23 points — a very handy buffer, but there’s still plenty of meets left for challengers.
  • Under 12 Boys: Archie Sullivan leads with 21 points after another consistent sheet of results; other lads like Aodhan and Rex are never far behind.
  • Under 14 Boys: Lincoln van Loo sits on 20 points with Alex Sellars (17) and Casper Crothers (16) nipping at his heels — that one could go down to the wire.
  • Seniors (Men): Denver Pelly leads the seniors on 13, with Thomas Pearson, Thomas Pacey, Phil Hayward and Paul Martin all close behind. Expect more tussles in the sprints and longer handicaps as the season unfolds.
  • Under 10s and Under 8s: plenty of tight exchanges — Jessica Pacey (U/10 girls) and Edward Pacey (U/10 boys) are both showing strong form and collecting series points like they’re on sale.

Rivalries, family feuds & school shout-outs

  • The Pacey family continues to field a full swimming squad — Arthur, Jessica, Edward and Thomas keeping it very much a family affair (and very noisy at the finish).
  • The Allan twins and Dad (Elizabeth, Charlotte and Ian) keep the family bragging rights alive — Elizabeth’s aiming for triple-family wins this week (burger with pineapple on the line, presumably controversial but delicious).
  • Classic old-timers’ rivalry: Duncan Lyon vs Gerry Tibbertsma vs Phil Hayward — plenty of friendly jibes on the pool deck (Gerry rued a rotator cuff excuse earlier, Duncan still plotting revenge, Phil wants to beat Rosie). It’s the kind of rivalry that keeps the refs entertained.
  • School ties are alive and well (lots of Russell Lea, Rosebank and St Mark’s swimmers) but remember — they’re racing for DASC, not the school colours — though the schoolyard bragging rights are a nice bonus.

Timing gremlins & race admin

We had a few races where the timing system and some lane timekeepers dropped the baton — several VOID/DNS entries and a handful of placings determined by the race referee. Not ideal, but the refs and Lane Marshals sorted it out. Special callout to David Parker for keeping the timing gear gremlins under marginal control — our unofficial Club Legal Beagle also doubles as tech support.

Notable DQs / DNS

  • A few DNS/voids in younger heats (Jaxon Lewis, some timekeeper issues in races producing VOID entries). We’ll get those sorted and remind everyone: always glance at your handicap start and wave if you need help.

Looking ahead

Next week (25 Oct) we switch up with butterfly on the program and a medley long-distance — a perfect opportunity for sprinters to show off their form strokes and for those long-distance folk to chip away at series points. Key upcoming matchups to watch:

  • Fred Congdon / George Wheaton type events (handicapped BBB and trophy heats) are coming up in the next few weeks — winners of heats will lock-in for finals later in the season.
  • If you’re chasing Point Score glory: there’s a lot of points still on offer across the season. Those with comfortable leads (Alena, Archie, Arthur, Lincoln) should keep showing up; challengers, treat the next few meets like free range opportunities to make ground.

Final chuckle & thanks

Lovely to see so many smiling faces, new joiners and tried-and-true veterans enjoying their Saturday morning mayhem. If you raced, high five yourself — if you cheered, even better. Same time next week — bring goggles, a towel and a willingness to be roasted in good humour by your mates. And Thomas: we’ll be checking for tumble turns. No pressure.

Note: The above meet report was automatically generated using an artificial intelligence tool. While care is taken to ensure that the information in this report appears reasonable, please contact racesecretary@drummoyneswimclub.com.au if you would like to provide any feedback on this content.

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Results Week 1

The results for Saturday 11 October 2025 have been published here.

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — sunny and warm with only a cheeky chance of a shower later on.

Welcome back to the 2025/26 season, folks! First Saturday of the summer run and the cobwebs were loudly dislodged: a few bright new faces popped in, the old timers dusted off their goggles and the kids remembered how much better the pool is than Zoom. A medium chance of afternoon showers didn’t stop anyone from racing like the sun was on their tail.

Standouts & season-opening heroes

  • Archie Sullivan — Hat-trick hero. Archie went 3-for-3 across the day and leads his age group with a perfect 12 points. Nice and tidy start to the season, Archie — keep that streak warm for the long haul.
  • Alena Finn — Matching Archie’s perfection: 12 points and three wins. Looks like someone’s been practising over winter — excellent job, Alena.
  • Jude Wilson — A proper opener with 11 points. Jude’s power off the start and bike-like turnover made him hard to catch.
  • Skye Lewis — Top of her division with 10 points. Skye’s back from the break and already looking comfortable in the water.
  • Jessica Pacey — Another 10‑point week — spritely, determined and having fun. Personal goal was “Have fun” — nailed it.

Close battles and rivalries

  • Under 8 girls saw Christina Tripolitsiotis narrowly hold off Georgina Aitken — 10 to 8 points. Two fast youngsters trading elbows and smiles; this one’ll be spicy all season.
  • Under 10 boys is tight: Oscar Sullivan (7) leads Harry Finn (6). Expect these two to duel for every centimetre — family bragging rights at stake.
  • In the Seniors it’s already a tussle: Jaxon Lewis sits on 9 with Denver Pelly breathing down his neck on 8. Denver’s quick in the longer stuff (watch that 200m time trial), while Jaxon’s explosive in the sprints — perfect recipe for a season-long scrap.
  • The old familiar triangle of Duncan Lyon, Gerry Tibbertsma and Phil Hayward was in evidence — Duncan got the better of Gerry today in the breaststroke heat, Phil somehow did a few jobs and still managed to swim — and the banter afterwards was Olympic‑level. Rose Tunstall confessed her season goal is to “beat Gerry and Phil” — she’s given them a nudge already and will be hunting them all summer.

Personal goals — wins, near-misses and funny objectives

  • Lincoln van Loo
  • Jaxon Lewis
  • Thomas Pacey
  • Michael Hayward
  • Plenty of very modest goals (some delightfully irreverent) were met: “Wake up on time” (Alena Finn) — alarm clocks and medals both successful today.

Notable swims & gutsy efforts

  • Christian Taylor
  • Denver Pelly
  • Suzie Aitken
  • Young guns like Luke Sellars, Skye Lewis and Alena Finn all had eye-catching sprints — plenty to make the coaches smile (and the parents beam).

Family, schools and club spirit

There were stacks of family pairings — the Pacey clan (Thomas, Emma and three littlies Arthur, Edward and Jessica), the Lewis crew (Adam, Kristy, Skye and Jaxon), the Allan twins Elizabeth and Charlotte helping as junior computer techs while still racing, and the Parkers (David and Cara) popping in from London for a guest appearance. A reminder that school affiliations noted in the entries (Saint Ignatius’, Rosebank, Russell Lea, etc.) are just that — these swimmers are racing for DASC, not their school colours. Club first, school spirit second, but plenty of friendly inter‑school bragging on the pool deck all the same.

New joiners, returnees & club veterans

  • Nice to see new faces like Emilie Krog and Margaret Joy joining the Saturday circus — welcome aboard. We hope the coffee is strong enough for you.
  • Longstanding stalwarts were out in force — Phil Hayward, Gerry Tibbertsma, Matthew O’Connor and David Parker (our timing equipment wizard) making sure the meet ran like clockwork. We salute our life members and volunteers for another smooth start to the season.
  • Cara Parker (paramedic now working in London) made a guest appearance — always lovely when globetrotting members drop by to sweat on the starter’s call.

The oddities (timing gremlins & DNS)

We had a few “No times recorded”/DNSs in some heats — a reminder that volunteers do the heavy lifting and that timing lanes need human love. A couple of the little ones (and their lanes) just didn’t want to play fair today; referees recorded placings where the clock failed and everyone stayed good‑humoured about it. If your result shows VOID/NT, the referee had your back and points were awarded based on placings.

Looking ahead

Families away for school holidays meant a slightly pared turnout, but next week should see everyone back and the races will get thicker and faster. Keep an eye on the Under 12/Under 14 divisions — some serious pointscore chases have already started. Remember: the season is a marathon, not a sprint — unless you’re in a sprint, in which case put your head down and go.

Great start to the season, Drummoyne — bring your towels, your banter and your best race faces next Saturday. See you at 7:30 sharp — and don’t forget sunscreen (UV is very high, so slather up before your warm‑ups).

Note: The above meet report was automatically generated using an artificial intelligence tool. While care is taken to ensure that the information in this report appears reasonable, please contact racesecretary@drummoyneswimclub.com.au if you would like to provide any feedback on this content.

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Results Week 21

The results for Saturday 22 March 2025, including the 800m Freestyle Championships, have been published here.

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool, with the flippers in full force and spirits soaring higher than a kangaroo over a billabong! Today’s weather kept us on our toes, with a partly cloudy sky and a medium chance of showers, but nothing a true Aussie swimmer can’t handle.

Open 800m Freestyle Championships

Men’s Results

Our aquatic superhero, Denver Pelly, blazed through the 800m to bag the top spot with a killer time of 10:57.66! Rex “Pocket Rocket” Wilson wasn’t far behind, missing out on the gold by just a smidge. Lincoln “Loch Ness” van Loo claimed third, while David “I’m-gonna-smash-that-timer” Smith showed remarkable improvement this season. All the blokes gave it their all, and we’ve got our eyes on Harry Thompson, the young gun who keeps pushing his limits! Paul Martin might have slid a bit in the standings, but we know he’s got a comeback brewing.

Women’s Results

Elizabeth Allan is living up to her “Captain Fantastic” title, leading the charge with a triumphant swim and finishing first. Jenny Gaskin made sure Elizabeth felt the heat, snagging second place by a whisker. Lyndal Rapisarda, known as ‘Rocket Rapisarda’, continues her streak with a bronze, showing that family ties give you extra turbo! Frances Christodoulou may have missed out on a podium but, as always, left us smiling brighter than a Sydney sunrise. Sally Kudrna couldn’t outdo her recent best, but watch this space next meet!

Relay Family Fun Day

Things got competitive in our beloved relay events. In the Geribo Cup Relay, “Murrow Mermaids” floated to victory with style, leaving a trail of bubbles. “Better Late Than Never” proved indeed to be better, sprinting past the pack despite a few wrong turns! Team “Chalker” wasn’t chalking it up, battling through for a solid mid-pack finish.

Handicap Point Score Highlights

The juniors and seniors turned on the waterworks in a fierce Handicap Point Score battle. In the Under 6 category, Tony “Tiny Tornado” Thompson maintains his supremacy. While in male seniors, Thomas Pacey, our seasoned spearhead, set a brisk pace winning top points, with Ian Allan and Adam Christodoulou not too far behind—mate, we love a good rivalry! Jenny Gaskin leads the women’s seniors, showing that experience combined with determination is the name of the game!

Shouts and Cheers

Birthday Bashes: Happy belated splashes to the newly nine-year-old Thomas Pearson, asking “what’s my handicap start again?” Legends like Phil Hayward and Duncan Lyon lurked around the poolside, inspiring the young and young-at-heart as only veterans do. We love seeing Mary Hartley, recently back from shoulder surgery, taking the plunge again!

All in all, a cracker of a day at the pool! Keep your goggles fog-free and your resolve sharp ‘cos there’s plenty more swimming to be done and rivals to out-splash. No amount of clouds or sprinkles could dampen this lot’s spirits!

Note: The above meet report was automatically generated using an artificial intelligence tool. While care is taken to ensure that the information in this report appears reasonable, please contact racesecretary@drummoyneswimclub.com.au if you would like to provide any feedback on this content.

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Results Week 20

The results for Saturday 15 March 2025, including the 100m Backstroke Championships and Week 6 of the 100m Freestyle Special Events, have been published here.

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool – the sun was mostly out, and if you missed it, well, better luck next Saturday when the breeze blew in the scent of fresh chlorine!

Our Under 10s were off to a flying start in the 100m freestyle handicaps, with Hannah Aitken and Ava Cochrane battling it out in a tight finish. Hannah clinched the win, but Ava was hot on her heels, proving that the youngsters of All Hallows Catholic Primary are a force to reckon with! Meanwhile, over in the Les Henry Cup, Michael Tripolitsiotis smashed his personal best, leaving young Archie Sullivan scratching his head, wondering what just happened! The Drummoyne Public pride is strong with this one!

Jumping up to the over 35s, the cheeky battle between Clare Douglas and Patricia Douglas – old enough to know each other’s tricks – brought a good chuckle among the crowd. The heat went to Mary Hartley with her steely 100m freestyle, narrowly edging out the now-permanent-smile-wearer, Clare. Congratulations to the clan Douglas for keeping family rivalries alive at the pool!

Not to be outdone, the experienced Denver Pelly was back to his winning ways in the 100m Open Men’s backstroke. Having recovered from his shoulder escapade, Duncan Lyon still offered stiff competition, keeping Gerry Tibbertsma on his toes with a finish that almost needed photo evidence!

And we couldn’t miss the chance to cheer on our fearless Frances Christodoulou, former club captain and club champion, strutting her backstroke stuff in the Seniors’ category. With the wind at her back, even Rose Tunstall, 2021 and 2022 club captain, couldn’t wipe the grin from Rose’s face as they shared some friendly banter in the lanes.

In the Club Championship and Handicap Point Score competitions, Thomas Pacey is cruising in the seniors’ male category, but Paul Martin isn’t far behind. Mia Sendelbeck, still high on recent birthday cake, is balancing the scales in the Under 14s with her wits and impressive ledger of lifetime memberships from relatives to guide her!

We also say a big hello to all the newcomers who gallantly saw through their first Saturday club meet. Your fearless strides into uncharted waters are what make DASC the powerhouse of community spirit and competition. A special shoutout goes to Belle Paton for bringing the best cheer squad in the crowd!

So, escape the mundane, grab a pair of goggles, and join us for next week’s splash-fest, promising more glory, giggles, and glory again in our humble patch of Drummoyne waters!
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Note: The above meet report was automatically generated using an artificial intelligence tool. While care is taken to ensure that the information in this report appears reasonable, please contact racesecretary@drummoyneswimclub.com.au if you would like to provide any feedback on this content.

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