A SMALL team of Coffs Harbour swimmers have achieved stellar results during the recent NSW Senior State Age Championships in Sydney.

Lilly Geddes had her most successful State Age Championships, earning her first medal winning a bronze in the 16 years girls 800m freestyle.

She also earned a further six top ten finalist placings, notably fourth in the 16 years girls 1500m freestyle smashing her personal best by a further 30 seconds.

Bella Teale had an incredible meet, earning four new national times and swimming in five finals.

Teale has improved dramatically since last year’s Senior State Championship, where she earned her place in one final.

She placed fourth in both the 14 years girls 100m and 200m backstroke, just narrowly missing a medal by .07 of a second.

Sylas Phillips is going from strength to strength after earning one finals spot last year, improving to three state finals at this year’s event.

This State Age Championship he improved his state ranking to fifth in the 15 years boys 200m backstroke.

He swam an incredible personal best to earn a place in his 100m backstroke final, and went on to smash his personal best further in the final to place seventh in a very close field.

Mitchell Hickey swam on just the final day of competition in the 17 years 1500m freestyle, placing fourth in the event and improving his ranking of seventh in last year’s event.

He continued his preparation for the Open Water Nationals which were recently held in Adelaide.

Newest team member Andrea Thomson competed at her first Senior State Age Championships.

She swam exceptionally well, with lots of personal bests and improved rankings, most notably her 400m freestyle where she improved her seed from 24th to 14th in a six second personal best.

The team of five’s coach Sarah-Jane Weir praised the performances of her swimmers in Sydney, sharing her delight with News Of The Area.

“I’m so incredibly proud of my small team’s results, because while our team may have been small the results certainly weren’t,” she said.

“One state medal, 16 Top 10 finalist placings and four new national times.

“The results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of these amazing young people and to see them cement themselves at a state level in such an amazing fashion is just incredible.”

 

By Aiden BURGESS