Held at the Echuca 50m pool on Sunday October 6, the meet was the first of many district meets coming up as well as the State Championships and Country Championships.
With a small group of swimmers representing the club, Liam Kidgell and Alex Murphy did the boys proud, swimming the 200 free in 2.51.30 and 2.55.45 respectively.
Breaking three minutes was a personal best time for Liam, which qualifies him to compete in the 800m in Wodonga late next month.
And Liam didn't stop there, swimming PB's of 4-to-5 seconds in most events, including the 50 free, which he swam in 35.12.
Alex, who considers 200m a long distance, stuck to mostly shorter distances in the rest of his races, with highlights including 39.15 for the 50 back and 42.07 for the 50 fly.
Maddy and Cassidy Mailer put in solid swims for early in the season, with Maddy’s best swim a 32.16 in the 50 fly, while Cassidy impressed in the 100 fly.
But the highlight of the day was the 4x50 metre freestyle relay, with the crowd coming alive for the team events.
Benalla swam in the first heat, as Cassidy started the team well to established a good lead, with Liam maintaining this to the 100m point.
As the fastest swimmer for the team, Maddy took the third leg and increased the lead going into the final stretch, with Alex bringing the swim home, holding off the other teams trying to mow him down.
Benalla won the heat in 2.20.22, though Shepparton swam one second faster in the next heat to take out first place.
● The Swimming Club welcomes anyone to come along to try training with the club. There are two specific ‘Come and Try’ sessions being run at the Benalla Aquatic Centre on Monday October 21 (4pm) and Wednesday October 23 (4:30pm). For further information or details please contact coach Gary Bowman on 0422 354 371.
