Results Week 12

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool, and despite the doom-and-gloom forecast we enjoyed a brisk, splashable morning.

Quick wrap — 17 January 2026

Nice turnout of the regulars and plenty of new faces having a go. A few stalwarts were away (Phil, Gerry and Dave — missed you legends), so big thanks to Paul Martin who stepped in as Race Ref and to William Taylor, Tom & Emma Pacey for the starting duties. The pool served up some proper racing — some surprise delights, a sibling scrap, a heroic 400m final and more than a few “did they really just do that?” moments.

Headlines

• George Russell 400m Final: Alena Finn won by a whisker over Alessandro Rapisarda — what a race. Alena absolutely smashed her recent best (from 6:08.90 down to a 5:52.40 finish after handicaps) — excellent swimming under pressure. Alessandro dug deep and improved on his recent best too,  but looked a bit crook afterwards; hope you’re feeling better, mate.
• Bill Gallie 50m Breaststroke heats: Heats were held today — winners (Ellis Buchanan and Luke Sellars) qualify for the final on 7 Feb 2026. Mark those calendars, it’ll be juicy.
• 100m Special Events — Week 3: Molly Wark / Les Henry and the 35 & Over rounds were contested. Renee Carroll and Ian Allan topped the 35+ fields again; the season leaders are still very much in the hunt.
• Handicap point-score upsets & near-misses: Plenty of close finishes and a couple of DNS/DQs that mixed up heats — Tony Van Schaik missed his 100m and was popped into a 50m instead; Thomas Pearson was late again and missed some races; Astrid Carroll had an assisted DQ in the 20m (young ones learn fast!).

Races that stole the show

• 400m Final — Alena Finn: Magnificent. She out-touched Alessandro by a split second and shaved a chunk off her recent best. Top effort — big confidence boost for the long-distance crew.
• Alessandro Rapisarda: Brave as ever — improved on his time and gave everyone a lesson in grit. Poor bloke felt rough after the race, so give him a biscuit and a rest.
• Ellis Buchanan: Claimed the Bill Gallie heat and also won his 100m handicap heat — Ellis is on a roll and into the Bill Gallie final on 7 Feb. Keep that momentum.
• Luke Sellars: Heat winner in Bill Gallie and steady as she goes — his name will be on the start list in February.
• Shay vs Tadhg Donnellan: Old rivalry renewed — Tadhg made a comeback and the brothers had the usual family bragging rights at stake. Shay cleaned up today; Tadhg touched in his time trial and will be back for payback. Family feuds = best entertainment.
• Tony Van Schaik: Missed his 100m but smashed the 50m he was shifted into — not fazed, the man just keeps coming.

Handicap point-score series — close battles to watch

There are a few proper tight ladders in the season-long point-score — handy to know who’s breathing down whose neck:

• Under 8 Boys — Ellis Buchanan leads by a single point over Max Thompson (55 v 54). If either shows up next week and takes a win or two, the leaderboard will flip in a heartbeat. Keep showing up, lads — every point counts.
• Seniors (Men) — Ian Allan sitting on 65 with Thomas Pacey on 59 and Duncan Lyon on 58. That’s a three-way dust-up for the top spots; a few good placings and the order will shuffle again.
• Seniors (Women) — Renee Carroll and Margaret Joy are neck-and-neck (65 vs 64) — a proper rivalry. Expect some tactical racing as the season wears on.
• Under 10s — Jessica Pacey is running away with the Under‑10 girls (84 points) — terrific consistency from Jess. Alessandro and Edward continue to trade points in the Under 10 boys — Alessandro’s been strong today.
• Under 6s — Arthur Pacey remains the little power-house — dominant stuff and lots of fun to watch.

Perpetual trophies & finals on the horizon

• Bill Gallie 50m Breaststroke final: qualifiers from today (Ellis Buchanan & Luke Sellars) will battle it out on 7 Feb 2026. Should be a cracker — both have been showing great form.
• George Russell 400m trophy: final completed today — Alena’s name to remember this year. Well done to everyone who took on the distance.

Personal goals & progress (good yarns)

• Thomas Pacey: “Just keep swimming” — and swim he did. A solid race and plenty of people cheered the committee man on. Keep at it, Tom — inspirational persistence.
• Alena Finn: absolutely hit her target and then some in the 400 — she blew past her recent best. That’s the kind of session that gives you a grin for days.
• Ellis Buchanan: big improvements in sprint and breaststroke — a finalist and heat winner. Personal goals get ticked off when you keep showing up.
• Shay & Tadhg Donnellan: family rivalry delivering all the drama — Shay won this week, Tadhg will be plotting revenge. Classic sibling vibes.

Notable mentions & clubhouse banter

• Big thanks to Paul Martin for stepping in as Race Ref — legend. Also to William Taylor and the Paceys for starting duty — clutch saves for the club.
• Tony van Schaik: missed his race but made the best of it — honesty, hustle and a quick 50m to save face. Classic Tony.
• Thomas Pearson: late again — we’ll start a countdown clock next week. One of these mornings he’ll arrive on time — promise.
• A few DNS / “no times recorded” in some heats (and one DQ for assisted finish) — rules are rules, but we’re all mates here. If you’re unsure about your start time or where to be, ask a marshal and avoid the “where’s my lane?” shuffle.

What to watch next

• Bill Gallie final — 7 Feb 2026: Ellis vs Luke (and any late qualifiers) — expect a close finish.
• Handicap point-score: keep an eye on the elders’ tussles (Renee/Margaret and Ian/Thomas/Duncan) and the razor-thin Under‑8 boys fight (Ellis v Max).
• More 400m/long distance action: with the George Russell final done, some of the heat winners will be pushing for more long-distance silverware over the next few weeks.

Final cheer

Top work everyone — from the tiniest 20m dashers to the long‑distance warriors. If you swam, helped, started, timed or just yelled support from the fence: good onya. Keep training, keep laughing, and we’ll see you next Saturday morning — same pool, same chaos, same beautiful Drummoyne vibes.