38 MEDALS AT 2016 NSW SURF LIFE SAVING POOL RESCUE CHAMPS
Bulli Surf Life Saving Club took a small squad of 14 athletes to the 2016 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships last weekend at Ryde Aquatic Centre and came away with a swag of medals. Athletes ranging in age from U12 through to U19 competed against the best pool rescue athletes in the state.
Bulli Team consisted of U12 Holly Holmesby – Emily Gordon, U13 Isabella Ravino – Jade Timbrell U14 Zara Sharman – Kaimana Fittock – Bronte Sweeny – Georgia Green – Jade Swann U17 Timothy Gordon – Sheree Farrell – Natasha Burke – Kelsey Cresswell U19 Alexandra Smiroldo
Team Manager Keith Caldwell Assistant Team Manger Ngaire Brown
Some stand-out performances came from;
Holly Holmesby in the U12’s where she swam in 3 individual events & collected 3 gold medals
Isabella Ravino in the U13’s with 3 individual swims for 2 silver & 1bronze medal
Kaimana Fittock & Zara Sharman in the U14’s who both collected 1 Gold & 1 Silver in individual events
Sheree Farrell & Kelsey Cresswell in the U17’a picked up 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze & 1 Gold & 3 Bronze respectively
Alexandra Smiroldo in the U19’s took home a Silver & 2 Bronze medals in individual events.
Our relays performed strongly over the two days with our U12-13, U14-U15, U17-U19 collected medals in each discipline.
The club finished 3rd in the Open Point-Score & 6th in the Youth Point-Score.
Massive thank you to Scott Gordon who was the Chief Pool Setter for the event, he was in the water for the two days of competition. Thanks also to Neil Roberston from Bellambi SLSC who assisted as one of our rostered pool setters. To the mum's that each took on roles as time keepers in our allocatted time slots, a big thank you.
Team Manager & Coach Keith Caldwell said, “ The whole team performed outstandingly over the two days. The performances were better than expected with 24 clubs contested the championships with large numbers in the younger age groups. Our team made up of 13 girls & 1 boy did the club proud, pool rescue is a good discipline to teach the kids some skills involving rescue techniques and this only makes them better lifesavers for the future. It is all about speed, skill, technique in a great range of events. Jade Swann recently joined us from another northern beaches surf club and now she has picked up her first state medal in surf life saving, how good is that to see for a young girl in team events. We have a strong history in pool rescue, it is a pathway to higher representative honours and the future is looking bright.”