A GROUP of Mount Isa swimmers made the trip over to Townsville for the 63rd Annual North Queensland Swimming Championships at the Long Tan Pool recently.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
It was the third year in a row that the Mount Isa Heat Swimming Club had attended the event after many years of not attending.
Coach Brian Rodriquez said this year’s team was the smallest of the past three years, and was a reflection of the many families that had left town over the past 12 to 18 months.
It was made even smaller when sickness hit one family late in the week, meaning they stayed behind in Mount Isa.
Despite the smaller participation, this year’s team of nine swimmers – Tayla Fletcher, Sydneh Corrigan, Mitchel Corrigan, James Skea, Will Carland, Ethan Cernoia, Henry Carland, Jamie Grainger and Tristian Bowen – produced some fantastic results.
It included 54 races, 50 PBs, 26 top 10 finishes and two bronze medals.
Mitchel Corrigan, Henry Carland, Ethan Cernoia, Jamie Grainger and Tristian Bowen all achieved top 10 finishes, as did the men’s 4x50 medley relay.
Bowen in his first championship meet picked up two bronze medals in the men’s 50-metre backstroke and breastroke multi-class.
“It is always good going to a championship event as it really gives the athletes and their parents a real perspective on where they sit on a regional and state level,” Rodriquez said.
“It is very easy living so far away to become complacent in training as we do not have the same competition opportunities as those that live on the coast or in the city.
“For me as the coach, it really highlighted what we need to do over the next 12 to 24 months to ensure we not only stay competitive but improve upon our overall team ranking.
“Training will be given a good shake-up with a higher level of commitment and effort required from all our athletes.
‘‘We cannot expect our swimmers to be doing less and producing the same results, and this will be the biggest change to the squad’s program moving forward.”
Rodriquez said swimming was a tough sport, if not the toughest to train for.
“Endless laps with your face in the water swimming up and down the black line,” he said.
“The reward however can be very big for those who have the commitment and discipline to see it through.
‘‘Self-discipline, working hard to achieve a goal and time management are just three of the many life skills swimmers acquire over their career.”
Rodriquez said it was also exciting speaking to NQ Swimming regarding its plans for swimming development across the entire region and the part Mount Isa would play.
