It was a big weekend at the Melbourne Sport and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) for the swimmers of Gippsland at the State Open Championships recently.
Swimmers from South Gippsland, Warragul, Moe, Traralgon and Sale all competed in open events, so anyone with the qualifying time could swim, regardless of age.
This meant the Gippsland swimmers rubbed shoulders with several of the Australian Dolphins in the heats. The swimmers competed in heats in the morning, and several swimmers managed to record personal best times.
South Gippsland’s Sophie McKenzie made two finals, the 50-metre and 100-metre breaststroke, swimming the 50-metre alongside Warragul’s Izzy Nash. Both managed to swim times that will see them return to MSAC in October to swim in the National Open Short Course Championships.
Traralgon swimmers had success, with Kody Said finishing fifth in the 800-metre, Olivia Baillie fifth in the 50-metre backstroke, and Sayden Burton sixth in the 200-metre backstroke.
Recent Gippstar winner Ashley Nicholes finished second in the 100-metre individual medley, fifth in the 100-metre freestyle, fifth in the 50-metre breaststroke, and sixth in the 50-metre backstroke. Jessica Whiting placed sixth in the 100-metre butterfly and fifth in the 50-metre butterfly.
Gippsland was well represented in the multiclass swimmers, with Warragul’s Tyra Jensen and Ayvah Dennis, and Sale’s Mackenzie Gibbs making finals. Dennis swam in the final of the 50-metre and 100-metre freestyle multiclass and 100-metre backstroke multiclass, as well as the final of the 400-metre freestyle.
Jensen also had a great weekend, taking silver in the 50-metre freestyle and 50-metre butterfly multiclass.
For Sale’s Mackenzie Gibbs, one of the highlights was warming up with Ahmed Kelly and finding the courage to speak to him. Gibbs had the meet of her life: six races, six personal bests, and achieved four finals.
