By JARROD POTTER
ONE more accolade was waiting for the Casey TigerSharks’ Commonwealth Games trio when they returned home.
The City of Casey welcomed back Casey TigerSharks’ trio Matson Lawson, Josh Beaver and Mitch Pratt following their great success at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
At a celebration held on Friday night at Casey RACE in Cranbourne, City of Casey mayor Geoff Ablett and other representatives of the council presented the three Australian representatives with certificates to honour their achievements. Mayor Geoff Ablett presented the awards to the TigerSharks and said the hard work of Beaver, Lawson and Pratt has motivated the local swimming community to excel in and out of the water.
“It was a great honour to award these fine young men with a certificate of recognition for all the hard work they have put in to represent themselves, the City of Casey, their families and friends, and their country,” Ablett said.
“It’s an inspiration to us all that local residents, given the right opportunities, can get to the elite level.
“I want to also congratulate the Tigersharks Club who are now one of the top 10 clubs in Australia.”
TigerSharks head coach Ben Hiddlestone was also presented with a certificate in recognition of the part he played in cultivating the next generation of Australian swimming talent.
Beaver, from Tooradin, said the hard work of the City of Casey and his coach Hiddlestone to provide elite facilities and training were key to their international success.
“It’s a credit to Ben for working really well with the council and it’s good to have council representatives out here,” Beaver said.
“It’s a pretty big deal to have these guys around and I recognise it is great to have them here tonight (Friday).”
Beaver and Lawson signed autographs for a swarming school of up-and-coming TigerSharks swimmers and were thrilled to be welcomed back by the club, council and the local swimming community after the Games.
