It was a stellar evening for the Victorian cohort on Night 3 of the Australian Age Championships!
Our final multi-class event of the Championships opened the evening with some more personal best performances from our swimmers, then it was time for the able bodied athletes to shine.
Young gun Ciara Jeffs (YPW) dug deep in the final metres of the 13 year girls 200 Backstroke to secure Victoria’s first GOLD medal of the evening and the bling just kept coming! Luca Brown (MSC) followed the trend securing a BRONZE in the Boys 14 years 200m Backstroke.
Then we saw an incredible personal best from 15 year old Aleisha Clark (NUN) going 56.41 in her 100m freestyle to claim SILVER. But we didn’t stop there, with Alannah Torrance (MLC) charging down the pool in the Girls 17 200 Breaststroke and showcasing some awesome underwater skills to secure Victoria another GOLD medal.
Harry Heath (NUN) wanted a piece of the action too finishing with a BRONZE in the Boys 15 years 100m Breaststroke, then Ciara Jeffs returned for Girls 13 100m Butterfly and nabbed herself a SILVER.
The tone of the night was set, and the Boys 17 year olds 100m Breaststroke certainly did not disappoint with 5 Victorian athletes in the A final, we did something incredible - taking out the trifecta! Jacob Nimmo (Caulfield) Lachlan Chan (NUN) and Felix Dressel-de Bruyn (MSC) put on a spectacular display of speed and tenacity to touch First, Second & Third, narrowly ahead of an outside smoker from lane 0.
Our youngsters returned to the water for the Girls 13-14 years 800 Freestyle, and once again Victoria took out GOLD with Arika Erdenko (SYP) claiming victory for the 13 year olds. In the 14 year age group we saw Lucy Doyle (NUN) finish with a huge personal best to claim the BRONZE.
The excitement of the evening didn’t stop there, as our Victorian State Relays took to the pool, there were smiles all round and a fantastic feeling of ‘team’. Victoria took BRONZE in both the Boys 14-18 years 4 x 50m Freestyle State Relay (Andrew Ryland, Jack Gibson, Cooper Sutherland & Tiaan Burger), and the Girls 13-14 years 4 x 50m Freestyle State Relay (Ciara Jeffs, Celeste Cheng, Elizabeth Mak & Lillianah Jones)
Total Medal Tally:
6 Gold, 8 Silver & 8 Bronze
Let’s keep the momentum going tomorrow for Day 4! Go Vics!
