Casey Tiger Sharks Craig Watson, Trent Lindsey, McKenzie Cunningham and Brad York give team-mate Mathew Charlesworth the star treatment.By Marc McGowan
INJURIES and sickness plagued the Casey Tiger Sharks on day one of the Victorian Short Course Age Swimming Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Sunday.
But the club still managed some quality results in the pool, headed by 10-year-old prodigy Mathew Charlesworth.
The rising star picked up a silver and a bronze medal in the men’s 11-and-under 100-metre and 200m backstroke respectively, and another bronze in the men’s 11-and-under 100m individual medley.
Charlesworth was the top-ranked 10-year-old in all three events and fell just 0.24 of a second from gold in the 100m backstroke.
He also finished fourth in the 200m breaststroke and sixth in the 200m freestyle in the same age group.
Even Charlesworth endured bad luck in the lead-in, when he twinged a hamstring during a physical education class at school.
Gun Tiger Shark Craig Watson, 14, carried a virus into the meet and McKenzie Cunningham, 13, had a broken toe.
Freestyle specialist Trent Lindsey, 15, has only just recovered in recent weeks from a long battle with a virus.
This did not hold them back, however, and the trio was among Casey’s best performers.
Watson won silver in the men’s 14-year-old 100m breaststroke, Lindsey picked up silver in the men’s 15-year-old 200m freestyle, and Cunningham was fourth in the men’s 13-year-old 200m backstroke.
Watson and Lindsey were desperately close to victory in their medal-winning efforts, 0.29 and 0.35 of a second from gold medals respectively.
The other stand-out swimmer on the weekend was Brad York, 17, who scored bronze in the men’s 17-year-old 100m butterfly and placed fourth in the men’s 15-and-over 400m freestyle.
Tiger Sharks head coach Ben Hiddlestone was content with his athletes’ output, but believes they have much more to give when the championships conclude this weekend.
“We’re proud of our performances and times and are looking to this weekend,” he said. We are sitting 10th overall right now.”
Hiddlestone was most impressed by Lindsey’s 200m freestyle – particularly under the circumstances.
“Trent’s 50m freestyle (where he finished 11th) wasn’t great,” the coach said.
“He missed the start and dived crooked and breathed every second stroke on the way back (rather than every six).
“We had a talk and he went away by himself for a while before coming back two or three hours later for his main race, the 200m freestyle.
“To turn his mental state around was a great job. It was a great PB (personal best) for Trent and he’s really shown that the 200m is his distance.”
Hiddlestone also highlighted the showings of 15-year-old Jemma Phillips, 13-year-old Liam Etheve, and 12-year-old Olivia Raiti.
Casey is expecting a big Saturday and Sunday, with Watson favoured in the 100m and 200m backstroke, and York a strong chance in the 200m freestyle.
York and Lindsey will have good competition in the 200m butterfly and 100m freestyle respectively, while Hiddlestone has high hopes for 13-year-old Stephanie Demestichas in the 200m freestyle.
