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)

It was yet another beautiful day at Drummoyne Pool — a shower or two tried to crash the party but the sun and swimmers politely told it to sod off, so it was lovely for a swim.

Headline hits & records

Big congratulations to Emilie Krog — she didn’t just win the Open Women’s 400m, she rewrote the record books with a ripper 5:05.37 (taking down Devon Boyle’s long-standing 5:06.72). Absolute ripper of a swim — watch out, the rest of the field will be practising their breathing this week. And special mention to Lincoln van Loo who came within a whisker of the Under‑14 400m Club Record — 5:18.18, only 0.15s shy. Heartbreaker, mate, but that’s the sort of margin that makes the next meet deliciously tense.

Trophies, finals and other bragging rights

Ellis Buchanan nabbed the Bill Gallie 50m Breaststroke Final — first championship final and he took it in style. If that wasn’t a proud-parent-and-grandparent moment, we don’t know what is.
We also ran heats for the Tom Williams 50m Freestyle (men’s and women’s) — plenty of fast lane drama and some names to watch for the finals on 21 Feb. Duncan Lyon is still eyeing qualification (and a cheeky win over Gerry Tibbertsma); he had a swim in the heats but the dogfight for final berths is wide open. Plenty of sprinters left to sharpen up over the next two weeks.

Club Championship — the long straight stories

Luke Sellars remains unstoppable in the Under‑16 Championships — sweet as, he’s taken the 400m at every meeting so far and sits on the full house of points. That one is looking like Luke’s to lose unless someone brings fireworks next month.
In the Open Men’s 400m, Christian Taylor showed he’s back and dangerous with a cracking 5:05.84 to win — a nice narrative with Emilie’s performance on the same day (two ex‑uni pals making the pool proud). Lincoln backed up his near‑record U14 swim with a nearly identical time in the men’s open — the kid’s got stamina and heart.

Handicap Point Score — who’s clawing, who’s smiling

The handicap point score is serving up proper nail‑biters across the grades:

• Seniors — Ian Allan leads the pack by a whisker (81) with Thomas Pacey breathing down his neck (78). That one’s tight — a couple of good swims over the next few meets and the ladder could flip. Classic slow‑age‑vs‑youth banter included.
• Seniors (women) — Renee Carroll (79) and Margaret Joy (76) are duking it out for top spot; Suzie Aitken and Belle Paton aren’t far behind and will be keen to capitalise on any slip‑ups.
• Under‑16 boys — Luke Sellars is the man to beat in both championship and handicap tallies; he’s racking up consistent results and buckets of points.
• Under‑14 boys — Alex Sellars is leading the handicap table (91) with Lincoln (70) in pursuit — Alex has been piling on the points all season.
• Under‑8 & Under‑10 grades are jam‑packed with energy: Ellis Buchanan and Max Thompson remain a delightfully close pairing in the Under‑8 boys table, and Jessica Pacey continues to pile up points in Under‑10 girls (97) — the Pacey clan are everywhere this morning!

Plenty of points remain on offer before season’s end, so expect shenanigans, tactical swims and the odd last‑lap surge from people who’ve been quietly training between coffees.

Local rivalries & family stories

As ever, Drummoyne served up the family content: the Pacey family (Thomas, Edward, Jessica, Arthur) were in full effect — Arthur and Edward still manning top spots in the Under‑6/Under‑10 pointscore lists; Thomas is still chasing that 50m PB but keeps turning up with committee duties and big‑heart swims. The Taylor brothers (Christian and William) gave us plenty to clap about — Christian’s return from the US scholarship scene looked very much like he’d slipped straight back into racing jeans. The Allans — Elizabeth, Charlotte and dad Ian — keep stacking both championship points and the warm fuzzies.

Social stuff, mischief and general chaos

There was a big game of tag among the younger mob that produced high‑pitched squealing and several ear‑coverings from those of us approaching pensionable age. Phil Hayward (veteran referee and life member) slept in this week — classic — so Paul Martin kindly stepped up as ref. Big thanks to Paul for saving the day; Phil insists he was “resting his lungs” for next time.

Notable swims, PBs and “near‑miss” moments

– Emilie’s Open Women’s 400m record is the standout of the morning — stellar swim and a benchmark for others to chase.
– Lincoln’s 5:18.18 in the Under‑14 400m: agonisingly close to the record, but these margins make future meets great fun.
– Ellis Buchanan winning the Bill Gallie final — first championship final win, lovely to see youth stepping up.
– A few DNS/DQ/timekeeping quirks crept in (there were a couple of “0.00” or DNS placings recorded and some DQs for technicals) — referee decisions sorted placings where the timing was patchy.

Eyes on the calendar — what’s next

Mark your calendars for the Tom Williams 50m finals on 21 Feb — plenty of sprinters from today have a shot and Duncan’s still gunning for a final spot (and that cheeky Gerry beat). Club Championship events and the remaining handicap rounds mean there are still valuable points up for grabs before the season finishes — nobody’s safe from being leap‑frogged yet.

Final thoughts & cheers

Top effort from everyone — new joiners, club veterans, kids with their first nervous dives and grandparents who still do laps like it’s a daily ritual. The pool had stories, squeals, shattered records and near misses — the usual Drummoyne magic. Bring sunscreen next week (UV’s been extreme lately) and maybe a towel big enough to hide a humble humble‑brag.

See you all Saturday — bring your fastest arms, loudest cheers and someone to make sure Phil gets to the pool on time.