Edenvale swimmers are making waves
During the season, swimmers compete in many galas trying to qualify for the end of season Swimming South Africa national and regional championship events.
The Aquatic Academy swimmers in Edenvale, along with their coaches and parents, have had a long month of national events, back to back.
During the season, swimmers compete in many galas trying to qualify for the end of season Swimming South Africa national and regional championship events. These qualifying times give the swimmers goals to work towards in training.
Once the swimmers qualify to take part in a particular national event they need to further qualify with a top 10 place, at a regional or national event to compete in the final. Points are only scored for swimmers that achieve a top ten place in a final. Competition entails 14-hour days starting at around 6.30am with the heats, followed with finals in the late afternoon and into the evening.
The following swimmers all attend Edenvale schools and swim for the Aquatic Academy, which is affiliated to ESP within the Eastern Gauteng Aquatics Federation.
Savannah Mitchell and Kyle Mckenzie qualified for both the SA Junior and SA Youth National Championships, both held in Durban over the past month. McKenzie, in his first major championship, qualified as either a first or second reserve for the finals, in four events. Mitchell competed in the 200m breaststroke final, scoring four points for ESP.
ESP next competed with a team of nine swimmers at the SA Regional Level 3 Championships, staged in Pretoria. The top point scorers for the ESP aquatics team were Colette Fourie with 18 points, who swam four finals and won a bronze medal. Second was Caitlin Stott with 16 points scored from five finals events.
Other ESP Level 3 aquatic finalists are Murray Copeland (three finals), Bernalee Doster (three finals), Ashleigh Stock (three finals), Kerri Lyn Claase (two finals) Jonathan and Nicholas Smith (one final each).
Level 2 Regional Championships, held at Delville, in Germiston, saw Savannah Sheerin make it through to 10 final events, winning two gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Sheering scored a tally of 89 points.
With more than 70 clubs taking part, the team swam hard and ended up on the final count scoreboard in 10th position.
Kailyn Murrin won two bronze medals and swam three finals, scoring 23 points. Kerrin Burgess won silver and qualified in four final events. Clayton Malaza won one bronze medal qualifying for seven finals.
Other ESP finalists and point scorers are Storm Ryder (three finals), Phillipa Austin (two finals), Brooklynn Bohler (one final), Morgan Corns (one final) and Zoe Stock (three finals).
The 15- to 18-year-old girl relay teams won bronze for the 4 x 50m freestyle relay (Storm Ryder, Kailyn Murrin, Brooklyn Bohler and Savannah Sheerin) and a silver in the 4 x 50m medley relay (Storm Ryder, Brooklyn Bohler, Kerrin Burgess and Savannah Sheerin).
