Host of personal best times recorded from four Albany Swim Club competitors at WA Short Course Championships

Four Albany Swim Club athletes impressed at the 2022 Swimming WA Short Course Championships earlier this month. Ten events were completed by the Albany team, with the squad achieving an overall personal best rate of 60 per cent. Tessa Steer, Annie Newman, Lucas Swatek and Hannah Osborne all made the trip to Perth. Taliah Bennett-Norman, Seth Lawson, Lillian Molenda and Creed Shephard qualified for the meet but did not travel. Osborne swam in four events, achieving a personal best rate of 100 per cent that included a new State qualifying time in the 12-year-old age category for her 100m freestyle (1min. 15.66sec.). The 11-year-old recorded impressive times in the 50m breaststroke (48.30sec.), 50m freestyle (33.57sec.) and 100m medley (1.31:50). Swatek achieved a new personal best time for his 200m freestyle (2.59:97), taking a massive 18.65sec. off his previous best. The 10-year-old also recorded a PB in the 100m freestyle (1.24:09), 100m medley (1.40:15) and 50m freestyle (37.91) while also finishing the 50m breaststroke with a time of 54.31sec. It was Swatek and Steer’s first junior State meet with Steer also recording PBs in three of her races. Steer, 12, achieved best times in the 50m backstroke (39.11), 100m backstroke (1.23:28), 50m freestyle (33.72) and finished with a terrific time of 1.16:00 in the 100m freestyle. Newman was also a stand-out at the meet, recording wonderful times of 1.35:68 in the 100m freestyle and 3.25:02 in the 200m freestyle. The meet also served as the first official competition for up-and-coming Albany Swim Club junior coaches Caitlin Williams and Megan Pascoe. Albany Swim Club coach Nola Osborne was thrilled with their representation. “It was a huge effort from the whole team and to have so many personal bests achieved is a testament to how hard everyone has worked leading into this meet,” Osborne said. “These results also stem from our coaching team and all the hard work they put in all year. “From my perspective I want to see improvements in their times and overall placings. “This gives one of the best indications of the progressions these athletes are making. “Both Lucas and Tessa were outstanding at executing their race plans, which helped them achieve the times and results they did over the course of the weekend. “We now switch into long course season and are looking forward to our first target meet which will be the Bunbury Open on October 23.”