Fundraising heroics are matched by efforts in the pool as Mt Barker Barracudas clinch C-grade country pennants

Spending 14 months raising the $50,000 needed to send their team to the WA Country Pennants in Karratha paid off for the Mt Barker Barracudas as they returned home as C-grade champions. The Belt Up Country Pennants event, which ran from February 27-March 1, attracted more than 40 regional clubs and 2000-plus competitors to the Karratha Leisureplex. After finishing joint second to Geographe Bay last year, the Barracudas were hopeful of going one better but had to raise $35,000 just to pay for flights with the 2026 staging taking place in WA’s north. So, members and their families did a wood chop and sale, catered at local events and ran sausage sizzles at the State elections to raise money. Club secretary, and country pennants coordinator Kelly Osborne said that “we got involved in everything”. “The club fundraised nearly $50,000 over 14 months to get to Karratha with major backing from the Community Bank Mt Barker, The Mt Barker Co-operative, Minorba, the Shire of Plantagenet and Mt Barker Country Chemist,” she said. “So many of our local businesses, community groups and families have dug deep for our kids and this really is the ultimate way to pay back their faith in us.” Despite having to come to terms with the heat and humidity, there were impressive top-six finishes for Dylan Zijlstra in 50m and 100m breaststroke, Koos de Jonge in the 50m breaststroke, Adam Large in the 100m butterfly and Jack Rowe in 50m backstroke. The medley and freestyle relay teams also clinched the overall C-grade relay title, to add even more shine to a golden weekend. Their 400 points was 20 points better than Tom Price and 34 ahead of Geographe Bay and means they will compete in B-grade next year in Geraldton. The Great Southern is slated to host the competition in 2028. The 2026 title and promotion is the third time the club has enjoyed championship success in the event. They won E-grade 11 years ago and the D-grade in 2021, when they hosted. However, Ms Osborne said the club was about more than swimming and winning. “It has heart and a caring community that backs it,” she said. “It’s about inclusiveness and encouraging everyone to have a go.” Mandurah became A-grade champions while Karratha won B-grade, York took the D-grade and Broome the E-grade. Albany finished fifth in a B-grade section which included Kalgoorlie, Northam, Exmouth and Karratha.