Results Week 17

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)