Four of Bowral's most promising young swimmers scorched the pool over the weekend with a strong showing at the country swimming championships at Homebush.
The championships were held on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday.
The swimmers were Joel Dufty, 17, Anita Cowley, aged 16, Orlanda Sexton, aged 13 and Rachel Boshier-Westwood, aged 12.
Orlanda and Rachel represented Bowral High School at the Zone Championships in Queanbeyan on Friday, 22nd February. They both then had to travel to Homebush to compete in the Country Championships which started at 6pm. Both Orlanda and Rachel, along with Joel, were entered to compete that evening. Rachel's first event was the 12 Year Old 100m Freestyle in which she swam a 1.5 second personal best time and was seventeenth out of forty-six. Joel, aged 17, swam in the Open 50m Freestyle and was placed sixteenth. 13 year old Orlanda also swam in the Open 50m Freestyle achieving a .03 second personal best.
On Saturday the 23rd, Orlanda swam into sixth place in the 13 Year Old 100m Butterfly with a 1.5 second personal best time. She was thirteenth in the 14 Years and Under 200m Freestyle where she swam a five second personal best time. Her third event was the 13 Year Old 100m Breaststroke where she was twelfth with a .3 second personal best. Joel won bronze with a third place in the 17 Years and Over 100m Backstroke and was fourth in the Open 50m Backstroke. Rachel swam a two second personal best in the 12 Year Old 100m Butterfly.
Sunday the 24th, Orlanda was sixth in the 13 Year Old 200m Individual Medley with a three second personal best time. Saving her best for last Orlanda went on to win a bronze medal, coming third in the 13 Year Old 100m Freestyle, taking one second off her best time and achieving a national age qualifying time. Rachel also saved her best for last and swam a three second personal best in the 12 Year Old 100m Backstroke where she was placed sixteenth out of 37.
On Sunday Anita competed in the 16 Year Old 100m Freestyle where she was twelfth, swimming a two second personal best which was fast enough to qualify her for State Age Championships.
Joel represented the South Coast & Tablelands District in the Open Medley Relay, swimming the backstroke leg. South Coast & Tablelands were second. His last event was the Open 100m Backstroke where he came fourth.
Overall the four Bowral swimmers competed in fourteen individual events and swam ten personal best times, three for Rachel, six for Orlanda and one for Anita. They achieved six top ten finishes with Joel getting one third and two fourth places and Orlanda getting one third and two sixth places. Joel goes on to swim at the Open National Championships in Brisbane in March for which he had already qualified. Joel and Orlanda will be swimming at the National Age Championships in April. Anita has qualified for next year's State Age Championships.
All four swimmers are coached by Shane Dufty at the Bowral Pool.
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