Results Week 3

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — sunny, warm and just the right amount of moody to promise an afternoon shower, which only made our splashes look that much more dramatic.

Great turnout on the first week of Butterfly and Medley — lots of new faces (welcome aboard!) and a few familiar troublemakers back for more. Old-timer Jack Corbett brought his crew of mates and we even had time-trial overflow for the new starters — two heats of novices kept the refs on their toes. Gerry Tibbertsma went home richer after winning the club raffle, so congratulations to our resident “old Dutch foxer”.

Standouts & Smiles

Christian Taylor made his return look suspiciously easy — the former national finalist posted the quickest 50m finish of the morning (24.43 on the handicap clock in Heat 9) and reminded everyone he still has speed to burn. Not far off those old 23s, Christian — be gentle with the youngsters.

Young guns and regulars alike had cracking sessions: Max Thompson (Under‑8) continued his rampage, collecting big points across sprint and butterfly — no wonder he’s top of the Under‑8 boys point score already. Georgina Aitken likewise had a blinder, piling on points in the Under‑8 girls and cementing her lead in that division.

Alessandro and Anna Rapisarda swam well for the Rapisarda/Douglas clan — Patricia Douglas must be proud of the brood (Grandparent‑grandchild points aplenty). A shout-out to Clare Douglas who picked up points for the Seniors ladies this week — family affair indeed.

Handicap Battles & Pointscore Stories

The handicap series continues to produce the best bench‑marks in town — and some very close finishes:

• Under‑10 boys: Edward Pacey leads the charge with a commanding 28 points so far — he’s the rider the others need to chase now.
• Under‑10 girls: Cara Thompson is the form girl (22 points) — watch the Thompson household for more trophies this season.
• Under‑8s: Max Thompson (boys) and Georgina Aitken (girls) are both stacking points and look hard to dislodge if they keep showing up like this.
• Under‑12 & Under‑14: Archie Sullivan and Liam Gooley are the men to watch in the junior spacings — consistent placings that add up fast.
• Seniors: Jenny Gaskin sits top of the women’s standings after a solid day in the butterfly and medley events; Adam Christodoulou is leading the senior men’s point score and even managed a cheeky 4‑point haul in a sprint heat today.

Closer-to-home rivalries remain delicious: Phil Hayward reminded everyone he’s still plenty handy on race day with a tidy second in Cameron McLean’s sprint heat, while Duncan Lyon (who’s been vocal about finally finishing a 50m fly and “beating Gerry and Phil”) was plotting in the corner — he’s close, but those two old rivals aren’t handing over bragging rights just yet.

Per‑event Highlights

• 50m Freestyle (handicap heats): Christian’s heat win was the day’s fastest. Other notable winners: Jasper Melville, Alena Finn, Suzie Aitken and Cameron McLean — plenty of strong swims across all age groups.
• 50m Butterfly & 30m Butterfly: Max Thompson and Alex Sellars grabbed wins in their heats, and Jenny Gaskin put together an excellent timed fly (heat win in the form events) that keeps her in the spotlight for senior ladies’ honours.
• Medley (4×50, 4×30, 4×20): A fantastic mix of youngsters and veterans gave the relay/medley formats a proper crack — Conor McLean, Oscar Sullivan and a few of the kids posted standout medley finishes; these events are shaping up as a key avenue for medley trophies later in the season.

Timing Gremlins & DNS

As always, a couple of gremlins crept in — some DNS entries and a couple of VOID/NT time slots (we’ll get those properly recorded next week). No shame: DNS means more time for coffee and cheeky banter on deck.

Club Legends & Newbies

Lovely to see club stalwarts back on deck — Phil, Gerry, David Parker (timing‑fixer extraordinaire) and our committee members. New joiners were warmly welcomed (and put through their paces); it’s brilliant to see the next generation and brand‑new families making Drummoyne their Saturday habit.

Bits & Bobs

• Raffle: Gerry Tibbertsma — lucky bugger.
• Birthday wink: Frances Christodoulou had a recent birthday (23 Oct) — happy belated, Frances — don’t let that cake slow down your backstroke.

What’s Next & Who To Watch

Next week (31 Oct) we kick on with heats for the Geoff Roper 200m Freestyle (handicap) and more sprints and breast/back options. Medley specialists and the long‑distance crew should be sharpening up — with today’s medley swims giving a hint of who’ll be showing up in the finals later in the season. Keep an eye on:

• Christian Taylor and Daniel Oliver for the open sprints — they’ll be tough to beat when they turn up.
• Max and Georgina Thompson/Aitken for the Under‑8 showdowns — both have the momentum.
• Jenny Gaskin and Elizabeth Allan in the senior women’s point race — still anybody’s game but both are stacking scores.

All up — brilliant effort by everyone. Lots of PB chases, some cheeky upsets and the usual Saturday morning mayhem that makes Drummoyne great. Pack your goggles, sharpen your backstroke, and be there next week: more points to win, more trophies to chase, and more chances to embarrass your sibling in front of the whole club.

See you Saturday — bring towels, smiles and that competitive-but-sporting swagger we do so well.