Club revels in championships medal haul

Albany Swim Club enjoyed a successful 2018 Country Championships at HBF Stadium in Perth earlier this month, returning with 80 medals in total and 163 personal-best times.

With a team of 35 swimmers at the annual championships, held from January 6-8, Albany had a terrific personal best ratio of 163 of 273 swims in total.

ASC won 21 gold medals, 19 — individual and two in the relays — while adding 30 silver medals and 29 bronze to their massive haul.

Fergus Martin, 14, and Ned Shepherd, 10, were named in the top-10 achievers of the meet after putting in impressive individual performances.

Fergus finished with personal-best times in all 11 finals in which he competed, while Ned won four gold medals, two silver and one bronze, with a 100 per cent PB ratio.

Emerging star Tom Gawned, 13, finished with the most golds after he won seven finals, along with two silvers and two bronzes.

Mitchell Williams joined Ned Shepherd with four gold medals, while Hamish Bowles and Angus Rennie also won gold, with two apiece.

Albany had 31 swimmers achieve 121 placings in the top 10 of their respective age groups including some newcomers to competition swimming — Creed Shepherd, Charlie Hicks, Poet Smargiassi, Scarlett Swain, Adelaide Boetel and Stella Gleeson.