Creed and teammates make a splash at short course champs

Albany Swim Club has returned from a successful 2019 Swimming WA Junior Short Course Championships last week when eight young swimmers hit the water.

Creed Shepherd was the standout Albany member, coming away with two gold and seven silver medals and setting nine personal-best times from 10 events.

Shepherd was one of 10 swimmers recognised at the event.

He won gold in the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley.

Itsuki Tomita, Freya Bowyer and Thomas Bavcevich all achieved personal best times, with Bavcevich competing at his first State championships.

William Baldwin and Imogen Fethers both also competed at the championships for the first time.

The overall team had an 80 percent personal-best rate.

The Albany team swam their way into the top 10, 14 times across the two-day event.

Sharks swim squad coach Nicole Robertson was extremely happy with how her team performed.

“Very pleased with how all the swimmers competed,” she said.

“Creed was outstanding at executing race plans, which helped him achieve both the times, and placings he deserved.

“A big program for a young boy, and he showed great maturity to swim it at such a high level.

“Thomas and William were very excited to be at their first junior State championships.

“We now switch in to long course season where we swim in a 50m pool, so our first target meet coming up is the Bunbury Open.”

The Bunbury Open will be on October 20 and will feature a big team of Dolphin and Sharks squad members from Albany.

“For some swimmers it will be their first time in a 50m pool,” Robertson said.

“We then look towards junior long-course State championships in April 2020, where we hope to have many swimmers attending.

“There are lots of up and coming junior swimmers in the club in the Dolphin and Shark squads, and it is an exciting time to watch them swim and achieve personal best times.”