From left, Trent Lindsey, Craig Watson, Brad York and Ryan Smith all stormed to medal-winning performances at the Victorian Long Course Swimming Championships last week.
By Marc McGowan
THE Casey Tiger Sharks sent shockwaves through the Victorian Long Course Swimming Championships last week by rollicking into eighth spot overall out of the 71 Victorian clubs that entered.
It was an enormous performance by the Tiger Sharks that swim in largely inferior facilities compared to Victoria’s other swimming elite.
The first half of the 10-day meet was completed last week and Casey snared one silver and two bronze medals.
Last week was the 13 to 18-year-old age groups’ turn and the Tiger Sharks exploded into action by scoring three gold, three silver and nine bronze medals.
Head coach Ben Hiddlestone went into the meet quietly confident and emerged extremely proud of his troops.
“Everyone stepped up and performed. They’ve been training hard and have been really flogging themselves for the past year,” he said.
To top it off, 14-year-old Craig Watson was named the champion swimmer for his age group, only four points ahead of teammate Trent Lindsey.
Last week’s medal haul was gathered by four swimmers – Lindsey (two gold, two silver and one bronze), Watson (one gold and four bronze), 17-year-old Brad York (one silver and two bronze) and 15-year-old Ryan Smith (two bronze).
“There are a core group of swimmers here that have really dedicated themselves,” Hiddlestone said.
“It has been really infectious and has spilt over onto the kids who might normally not train so hard. The atmosphere is completely different at training to when I arrived (in December, 2004).
“I don’t have to say much to motivate them.”
The aforementioned foursome have qualified in their respective events for April’s National Age Group Championships in Perth and will be joined by another of the meet’s sensations, 14-year-old Luke Drakeford.
Hiddlestone said Luke was the quiet achiever of the group.
“He does his eight to nine sessions a week and doesn’t say much,” he said.
“He does all the hard work, doesn’t question why and never gives anything but 100 per cent.”
He is hoping that up to four other members of his squad will qualify for the national championships in the ensuing months.
