2010/2011 Season Review 2nd October, 2011

2010/2011 proved a successful season for the club in spite of some very cold and wet weather, the continuing uncertainty over Holroyd Council's Swim Centre Review and the loss of one of our Life Members.

As the 2010/2011 season began, Holroyd Council received a report from consultants recommending that any new or improved swimming centre be constructed on the site of the current Merrylands Swimming Centre. Council however decided to commission a feasibility study into constructing a new centre on Hyland Road in Greystanes instead. This decision could effectively mean the eventual closure of Merrylands Swimming Centre if or when a new centre is built. The council's decision to close Merrylands Swimming Centre during the winter months also meant that there would be no pre-season competition or training during September and no Winter competition during April and May.

Even worse news was to follow. Within a month of the start of the season, the club received the sad news that Life Member, Jim Pye, had passed away aged 83. Jim was member of our club since it was formed in 1968, and was awarded Life Membership in the 1980s. He will be sadly missed by all members.

In the pool, following the demised of the Winter season, the club revamped its summer program with some events previously held during the winter competition moved to the summer, including a new SpringSkins event. Despite some very cold and wet weather during the first couple of months, attendances on Saturday mornings were strong and the highest they had been since 2005/2006. With the Wentworthville RSL Swimming Club folding over the winter, the club also picked up a few new members from Wentworthville. Learn to Swim numbers decreased slightly, as did total membership, however the club remained the largest in the Holroyd LGA and 7th largest in the Metro South West Area with 143 members. In the Swimming Australia GoClub PB program the club again achieved the Bronze Standard and was only a hand full of points off achieving the silver level. This was good recognition of the work that the committee members have contributed in continuing to move the club forward, especially considering there were only 8 members on the committee.

Vicki Baker was presented with the Lions Club Award for her volunteer work throughout the season while Adam Sharp was presented with the Learn to Swim Volunteer of the Year Award for his contribution to the Learn to Swim Program. Five Members were presented with Service Excellence Awards at the club's Annual Presentation Evening with Glad Pye, Tricia Johnston, Peter Johnston, Teresa Johnson and Margaret Edwards receiving the awards in recognition of their outstanding service to the club for more than 10 years. At the Annual General Meeting, Teresa Johnson was voted as the club's newest Life Member in recognition of her service to the club.

In the club competitions, a number of new champions were crowned while some successfully defended their titles. A new team "The Great Ones x 6" took out the Relay Competition at their first attempt. In the Senior competitions, Steven Nguyen won the Senior Handicap for the third year straight while Peter Johnston won the Masters Aerobic Trophy.

Brittany Johnson was presented with the Champion of Champions Award for a 7th time. Brittany won the Senior and Open Womens Championships, breaking 10 club championship records along the way. She also represented the club at the Area, Metropolitan and State Open Championships.
From our novice swimmers, Rhiannon Farrugia was presented with the Jack Smart Encouragement Award after steadily improving over the season. Hayley Baker was presented with a new award - the Jim Pye Development Award or "Minties" Award - for her improvement throughout the season and qualifying for her first Metro South West Championships.

In the Graded Pointscore Hayley Baker and Lachlan Stewart both defended their Pointscore wins from the previous season.

The club's representative teams had another successful year with members competing at all levels up to and including State Open Championships.
Brittany Johnson represented the club at the State Open Short Course Championships and was our club's first female representative at this meet in recent memory. Three swimmers competed at the Metropolitan Championships while Brittany Johnson was our sole swimmer at the Metropolitan Short Course Championships, but that didn't stop her from swimming seven new PBs from her six events. At the Metro South West Championships, the club finished with finalists in 13 events. At the Metro South West Short Course Championships, the club won 3 medals with Brittany Johnson taking home two Bronze and Peter Johnston a Silver.
Ten of our swimmer's performances over the season were recognised with selection in the 2011 Metro South West Area Development Squads.

2010/2011 saw increased participation and success by the club in Masters Swimming. Steven Nguyen, Brittany Johnson, Alison Sakurovs, Peter Johnston and Ian Wilson all represented the club at various State Masters Championships over the season, collecting 11 Gold, 8 Silver and 7 Bronze medals at the 3 Championships contested. Alison also represented the club at the Australian Masters Championships in Perth, winning 4 Bronze Medals.

In the Club Championships, 12 Championship records were broken over the season.

Brittany Johnson
Senior Womens 200m Freestyle(Brittany Johnson, 2009/2010)
Senior Womens 50m Backstroke(Brittany Johnson, 2009/2010)
Senior Womens 50m Breaststroke(Brittany Johnson, 2009/2010)
Senior Womens 100m Breaststroke(Brittany Johnson, 2009/2010)
Senior Womens 50m Butterfly(Brittany Johnson, 2008/2009)
Open Womens 200m Freestyle(Brittany Johnson, 2009/2010)
Open Womens 1500m Freestyle(Brittany Johnson, 2009/2010)
Open Womens 100m Breaststroke(Brittany Johnson, 2009/2010)
Open Womens 200m Breaststroke(Brittany Johnson, 2009/2010)
Open Womens 400m Individual Medley(Brittany Johnson, 2009/2010)
Katie Hope
14yrs Girls 50m Breaststroke(Brittany Johnson, 2004/2005)
Timothy Tunks
11yrs Boys 50m Breaststroke(Mitchell Emery, 2001/2002)


For the second year the Merrylands SwimFest was held on a Saturday afternoon. The meet ran smoothly again with the highest number of entries since 2008 and 34 clubs and 255 swimmers in attendance. Mt Pritchard won the club pointscore.

As the summer season was drawing to a close, the club found itself without a winter training venue for the first time since 2005. The committee were eventually able to secure lane space at Guildford Swimming Centre for the winter, just days before Merrylands closed. In a surprise move, Merrylands was re-opened in mid September to allow the Department of Education School Swimming Scheme to use the pool, and the club was able to return to the pool for training three weeks earlier than previously expected.

Despite the uncertainty over the pool's future, the committee members continue working on strategies to attract and retain members. We look forward to an exciting and even more successful 2011/2012 season.

See Also
  • 2010/2011 Rankings

  • 2010/2011 Presentation Evening

  • NSW State Masters Championships - Team

  • NSW State Masters Championships - Results

  • NSW Metropolitan Championships - Team

  • NSW State Age 10-12yrs Championships - Team

  • NSW State Age 10-12yrs Championships - Results

  • Metro South West Championships Open & Age Championships - Team

  • Metro South West Championships Open & Age Championships - Results

  • NSW State Masters Championships - Team

  • NSW State Masters Championships - Results

  • Australian Masters Championships - Team

  • Australian Masters Championships - Results

  • NSW State Open Short Course Championships - Team

  • NSW State Open Short Course Championships - Results

  • Metro South West Open & Age Short Course Championships - Team

  • Metro South West Open & Age Short Course Championships - Results

  • NSW Metropolitan Short Course Championships - Team

  • NSW Metropolitan Short Course Championships - Results

  • NSW State Age Short Course Championships - Team

  • NSW State Masters Long Distance Short Course Championships - Team

  • NSW State Masters Long Distance Short Course Championships - Results

  • Metro South West Development Squads

  • New Look Summer Season
  • SpringSkins
  • Vale - James (Jim) Pye
    •
    Hayley Baker & Claire CuskellyHayley Baker and Clair Cuskelly swim in the 50m Backstroke at the 2011 Merrylands SwimFest at Merrylands Swimming Centre on Saturday, 19th February, 2011. The meet was the best attended since 2008 with 255 swimmers representing 34 clubs.
    Hayley Baker & Claire Cuskelly
    Hayley Baker and Clair Cuskelly swim in the 50m Backstroke at the 2011 Merrylands SwimFest at Merrylands Swimming Centre on Saturday, 19th February, 2011. The meet was the best attended since 2008 with 255 swimmers representing 34 clubs.

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