THE Graaff-Reinet Swimming Club is creating a big splash in sporting circles, dominating one gala after another.
The club, which has had a particularly good year with more swimmers joining and training with the club than ever before, has won the victor and victrix titles at the Volkskool galas, the Interschools gala and the Karoo gala.
Carlien Oosthuizen and Aiden Tiahrt were the junior and Marlien Crewe-Brown and Rianco Vermeulen the senior victrix and victor winners at the Interschools gala.
At the Karoo gala, Carlien was the junior victrix, and Llewellyn and Marlien Crewe-Brown were the senior victor and victrix.
During the holidays, three of the club’s swimmers qualified to take part in the Level 2 and 3 Regional Championships, under the banner of Infinity, the top swimming club in Port Elizabeth, where clubs from all the southern regions come together to see who the best swimmers are in the region. More than 42 clubs sent swimmers and the event was held over a four-day period.
Llewellyn swam in Oudtshoorn at the Level 3 Championships and shined in the 16 to 18-year-old men’s category. He won a total of six medals (two gold, two silver and two bronze), of which four were individual medals and two were as part of relay teams. He became the 2019 champion in the 100m backstroke, swimming a lifetime best to win gold.
He also won silver in the 200m backstroke and two bronze medals in the 200m individual medley and 200m free.
Marlien and Anrich Nieuwoudt competed in East London in the Level 2 champs. Marlien brought back nine medals (six gold and three silver) to add to Anrich’s seven (six silver and one bronze). Marlien was the 2019 champion in the 200m individual medley and the 2019 champion and fastest sprinter in the 50m free. She anchored the relays, winning four golds with her Infinity team and got silver in the 50m and 100m breast and 50m fly.
Anrich won five relay silvers, silver for the 100m free and bronze for the 200m individual medley.
Head coach, Corlé Ferreira, was very pleased with the results. “I was particularly happy about the times the swimmers swam. All three of them swam personal bests in their main events and they really showed that Graaff Reinet swimmers can compete at the highest level and win. Next year I expect to see Llewellyn competing at the national championships and I have high hopes for several of my younger swimmers to also qualify for level champs.”
Graaff-Reinet Swimming Club will be open throughout winter.
Contact Rene Oosthuizen at 083 264 7824.
