The Casey TigerSharks’ Victorian Age Short Course Championship medallists, back, from left, Aleysha Tokai, McKenzie Cunningham, Craig Watson, Brad York, Jay Etheve, and front, Matthew Charlesworth, Olivia Raiti, Josh Beaver and Arnon Lodder. 22465 Picture: Stewart Chambers.By Marc McGowan
CRAIG Watson’s return to prominence headlined the Casey TigerSharks’ great start to the season at the Victorian Age Short Course Championships on the weekend.
An ankle injury hampered Watson’s Australian Age Championships campaign in April, but the 15-year-old showed he was back to full health.
Watson won four gold and five silver medals at the competition, including a Victorian all-comers’ record in the 200m backstroke.
His stellar results followed a similarly strong performance for the Victorian Target 2012 Silver Squad at the New South Wales Age Short Course Championships last month.
TigerSharks head coach Ben Hiddlestone was thrilled to see his star swimmer back to his best.
“It was good for him, confidence-wise, to let everybody else know how good he is,” Hiddlestone said.
Casey claimed six gold, 22 silver and four bronze medals to finish seventh out of all competing clubs.
Jemma Phillips (illness) and Trent Lindsey (retirement) did not compete.
Fifteen-year-old Aleysha Tokai, who joined the TigerSharks in February, was Casey’s other gold medallist, winning the 100m and 200m freestyle in her age group.
Tokai also pocketed silver medals in the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly.
Eleven-year-old Matthew Charlesworth (seven silver, one bronze), 18-year-old Brad York (three silver), 14-year-old Tyrone Dobrunz (two silver) and 15-year-old Josh Beaver (one silver, one bronze) were other standout performers.
Hiddlestone was pleased with the club’s overall showing considering the circumstances.
“I’m happy with seventh because we had a couple of our star swimmers (Phillips and Lindsey) out from January (Victorian Age Long Course Championships),” the coach said.
Hiddlestone said Craig’s and Aleysha’s gold medals were not a coincidence because they were the only ones that averaged over eight sessions during winter.
“It just goes to show that hard work pays off and they’re deserved winners – that’s for sure,” he said.
The TigerSharks’ male contingent led the way, but Casey’s female stocks look to be improving.
On top of Tokai’s feats, 13-year-old Olivia Raiti won silver in the 100m butterfly – her first at state level – and 14-year-old Stephanie Demestichas was desperately unlucky not to snare bronze in the 400m freestyle.
Demestichas was just one hundredth of a second behind the bronze medallist and just over half a second adrift of the silver medallist.
Eighteen-year-old Chloe Butt racked up six top-10 placings and 17-year-old Geraldine Fritz came sixth in the 200m butterfly.
Hiddlestone said the development of his female athletes was an ongoing process.
“If you want a vineyard in your backyard, you can’t do it straight away. It takes time and our girls are improving,” he said.
“We have Aleysha on board, we’ll get Jemma back when she’s healthy and Olivia won a medal this year for the first time ever.
“We’re waiting for our girls to pick up, but they are getting better and they can look forward to some big training sessions ahead.”
