Mountains swimmers did their clubs proud at the Australian Age Championships in Adelaide last week.
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There was a healthy Mountains contingent representing Glenbrook and Springwood Swimming Clubs, and emotions were running high for many teenage competitors.
Lawson swimmer Darian Quadrio, who now swims for Knox Pymble, took out three top 10 finishes at the South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre.
She was sixth in the 800m freestyle in a time of 9min 01sec, sixth in the 400m freestyle in 4.23.06 and fifth in the freestyle leg of the 400m individual medley in 5.04.73.
“Finals are incredibly exciting and the crowd and my team was very supportive,” the 15-year-old said.
Hot off school swimming sprint competitions Darian said she found it difficult to get her body to do what was needed for her long distance events.
“I kept sprinting the start, which must have looked like I was going to kill it, but it just killed me instead. I could not sustain that speed and as I soon as I hit the wall of the first 50m in the 800 free I knew I was going to struggle,” she said.
Despite this she still managed a sixth place and missed her personal best (PB) by one second.
Darian also secured a PB in the 100m free sprint in 59.32 (22nd), and 12th in the 200m free and 11th in the 200m IM.
“I’ll go back to school now and more training this week, then some recovery before coming back to Adelaide for the Australian Championships,” Darian said.
“I am hoping to be in a better head space for that event, it will be a great experience for me.”
The April 9-16 championships are the start of the Olympic Swimming Trials in which Darian will compete in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500m freestyle events.
Also competing at these championships will be Springwood Swimming Club’s Jenna Jones. She will swim the 50, 100 and 400m freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 100 fly and 200IM.
Jenna came third in the 50m backstroke on Monday in the multi-class events in the S13 category for vision-impaired swimmers. She is the current 50m backstroke (S13) world record holder.
Springwood Swimming Club’s Noah Cariolato, aged 14, did well at the age championships, earning 27th in the 200m IM, a 32nd in the 100m freestyle, 27th in the 50m freestyle, 37th in the 100m breaststroke and 27th in the 200m breaststroke.
Glenbrook Swimming Club had four relay teams entered in the championships and several entrants competing individually.
The boys 13-14 years 4x50m medley of Elijah Plowman, Jackson Ng-Saad, Daniel Tupper and Zach Konstantinoff finished 15th.
Girls 13-14 years 4x50m medley of Kelsey Otto, Brenna Tarrant, Claudia Neale and Kala Puri came 25th and 25th in the 4x50m freestyle.
Boys 18 and under 4x100m freestyle team of Matthew Taper, Jeb Burton, Daniel Neale and Gabriel Cabban-Galtarossa were 16th.
Kelsey Otto was a finalist in the 100m breaststroke, placing 10th, and then 18th in the 200m breaststroke.
Individual Glenbrook Swimming Club results: Zach Konstantinoff: 100m breaststroke 38th, 200m breaststroke 36th, Daniel Tupper: 100m breaststroke 35th, Daniel Neale: 50m freestyle 30th, 100m freestyle 27th, Kala Puri: 100m breaststroke 55th, Claudia Neale: 100m freestyle 24th, 50m freestyle 12th, 100m backstroke 16th, Gabriel Cabban-Galtarossa: 100m breaststroke 29th, 200m breaststroke 16th, 100m butterfly 20th, 200m IM 17th, and 100m freestyle 50th.
