The Graded Point Score 10th May, 2006

The Graded Point Score is one of the most hotly contested competitions of the summer season. Other than the Senior Handicap, it is the only competition that is held every week, rewarding consistency and improvement throughout the season.

Swimmers are graded in races based on their entry time and therefore swim with swimmers of similar ability. The concept behind this competition is for swimmers to swim against their time. The better they swim against their time, the greater number of points they receive.

At the end of the season, the Michael Rossek Memorial Trophy is awarded to the junior male swimmer with the highest points and the Ronald Exley Memorial Trophy is awarded to the junior female swimmer with the highest points.

The original Point Score Trophy was known as the Goldman Trophy. It was donated and named after Mr Samuel Goldman of Goldman’s Hardware Store which was situated in Merrylands. It was a large trophy with the winning boys and the winning girls names engraved on shields down each side. When this trophy was not able to hold any more shields, the club decided to purchase individual Boys and Girls Point Score Trophies (the Michael Rossek and Ronald Exley Memorial Trophies).

The Boys Trophy was named after Michael Rossek who, while still a member of our club, was killed in a work related accident not long after leaving school. Michael was the middle son of Mr & Mrs Gerry Rossek. Gerry Rossek was responsible for making some of the equipment for our club which we still use on Saturday mornings.

The Girls Trophy was named after Mr Ronald Exley who was a hard working member of our club. He held the position of Race Secretary for a few years and was Treasurer of the club from 1978 to 1982. It was in 1982 that Ron Exley had a heart attack and while having treatment at the time of the attack it was discovered that he was suffering inoperable cancer. He was married to Patricia and had four teenage children.

Over the last 38 years many recipients have topped the point score in multiple years. Because the competition rewards consistency and improvement throughout the season, the fastest or best swimmers aren’t necessarily the ones that win the competition. Since the inception of the Champion of Champions trophy in 1995/96 (awarded to the best all round swimmer each season), only two swimmers have won both the Champion of Champions and the Graded Point score. The past winners of the trophies include a good mixture of swimming abilities including a number of swimmers that have gone on to swim at national level either while they were members of our club or after moving on to other clubs.

Did you know?
  • Under the current point score, there is up to 24 points up for grabs each week. 480 points was the maximum score that could be achieved this season.


  • The average top score over the last 7 seasons has been 253 for the boys and 264 the girls. The highest scores achieved over that time were 309 points by Linda Liepins in the girls point score in 1998/99 and 294 by Adam Hammonds in the Boys point score in 1999/2000.


  • In the club’s history, there has only been three seasons where there has been a tie for first place in the point score. In 1973/74 the boys point score was won by N. Peacock and L. Kennedy. In 1988/89 the Michael Rossek Trophy was jointly awarded to David Johnston and Peter Johnston and the following year it was jointly awarded to Simon Johnston and Andrew Stephan. There has never been a tie in the girls point score.


  • Four families have won both the Michael Rossek and Ronald Exley Trophies; the Hayes, Stephan, Buckler, and Cause families. Of those four families, only one, the Buckler family, has taken home both trophies in the same season.


  • 15 different girls have won the Ronald Exley Trophy in the last 21 seasons. Amber Johnson and Linda Liepins have won it the most times with 3 each.


  • 17 different boys have won the Michael Rossek Trophy in the past 21 seasons. Tim Hayes, Peter Johnston, Andrew Stephan and Nathan Cause have won it the most times with 2 each.


  • 4 boys and 4 girls have won the trophies more than once; Tim Hayes, Peter Johnston, Andrew Stephan, Nathan Cause, Kristy Smith, Rachel Buckler, Linda Liepins and Amber Johnson.


  • 3 boys and 4 girls have won the Goldman Trophy more than once; N. Peacock, Darren Turner, Andrew Walters, G. Pedley, H. Koch, J. Pye and L. Glenn.


  • Tim Hayes is the only swimmer to have won both the Goldman Trophy and the Michael Rossek Trophy.


  • Because the trophies are only awarded to junior swimmers (under 17 years), the trophy recipients aren’t always the highest point scorers. Usually junior swimmers top the point score simply because they have more room for improvement. However, in 3 of the last 7 seasons, the highest point scorer in the male competition has actually been a senior swimmer. Glen Stanford was the highest in 2001/2002 while Peter Johnston finished on top in 1998/1999 and again in 2003/2004, on this occasion equal with the highest junior boy.


  • 2 swimmers have won both the summer and winter graded point scores; Amber Johnson and David Wang; however no swimmer has won both point scores in the same season.


Past Winners
The Goldman Trophy
Boys Girls
1968/69 P. Lovell J. Pye
1969/70 G. Hawkins J. Pye
1970/71 Greg Pye G. Pedley
1971/72 E. Young S. Abbot
1972/73 Kirk Fielder Amanda Smart
1973/74 N. Peacock, L. Kennedy S. Mitchell
1974/75 N. Peacock P. Durvey
1975/76 Darren Turner L. Reynolds
1976/77 A. Johnson L. Glenn
1977/78 Darren Turner L. Glenn
1978/79 M. Peacock K. Taylor
1979/80 Andrew Walters Allison Exley
1980/81 Andrew Walters G. Pedley
1981/82 Jim Hayes Nicole Howton
1982/83 C. Sinteur H. Koch
1983/84 Tim Hayes H. Koch
Michael Rossek
Memorial Trophy		 Ronald Exley
Memorial Trophy
1984/85 S. Joyce Tasha Sinclair
1985/86 Tim Hayes A. Sillick
1986/87 Steven Melville Michelle Hayes
1987/88 Tim Hayes Amanda Stanley
1988/89 David Johnston, Peter Johnston Vanessa Stephan
1989/90 Simon Johnston, Andrew Stephan Marnie Campbell
1990/91 Peter Johnston Lauren Holz
1991/92 Andrew Stephan Melissa Stafford
1992/93 Matthew Banks Kristy Smith
1993/94 Paul Kirk Kristy Smith
1994/95 Nathan B Rachel Buckler
1995/96 Matthew Buckler Rachel Buckler
1996/97 Blake Green Nicole Smith
1997/98 Matthew Jenkin Linda Liepins
1998/99 Mitchell Emery Linda Liepins
1999/2000 Adam Hammonds Linda Liepins
2000/01 Nathan Cause Samantha Anderson
2001/02 Nathan Cause Amber Johnson
2002/03 Jordan Burden Elise Cause
2003/04 Jorden Almeida Amber Johnson
2004/05 David Wang Amber Johnson


Selected Swimmer Details

Matthew Buckler - 1995/96
Club Representative at Shell Age Series Finals
Inaugural Champion of Champions recipient
National Qualifier after leaving the club
National Swimmer Profile
Rachel Buckler - 1994/95, 1995/96
2 time winner
Jordan Burden - 2002/03
Club Representative at Metropolitan & State
National Qualifier and Medalist after leaving the club
Club Representative
National Swimmer Profile
Mitchell Emery - 1998/99
Club Representative at Metropolitan & State
Club Representative
Allison Exley - 1979/80
Club Representative at State & Nationals
Club Representative
Kirk Fielder - 1972/73
Cumberland Relay Champion & Former Cumberland Record Holder
Club Representative
Adam Hammonds - 1999/2000
National Qualifier after leaving the club
National Swimmer Profile
Tim Hayes - 1983/84, 1985/86, 1987/88
3 time winner
5 time Club Captain (1989/90 - 1993/94)
Nicole Howton - 1981/82
Cumberland Relay Champion
Club Representative
Amber Johnson - 2001/02, 2003/04, 2004/05
3 time winner
Club Representative at Metropolitan & State
Peter Johnston - 1988/89, 1990/91
2 time winner (also highest point scorer in 1998/1999, 2003/2004)
Club Representative at Metropolitan
Linda Liepins - 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/2000
3 time winner
Andrew Stephan - 1989/90, 1991/92
2 time winner
Vanessa Stephan - 1988/89
National Qualifier after leaving the club
National Swimmer Profile
Darren Turner - 1975/76, 1977/78
2 time winner
Club Representative at State
Club Representative
Andrew Walters - 1979/80, 1980/81
2 time winner
Club Representative at State & Nationals
Club Representative
David Wang - 2004/05
Club Representative at Metropolitan & State
Club Representative


Thank you to Glad Pye for the information on the history of the Goldman, Rossek & Exley Trophies.

See Also
  • Graded Races Point Score
    •

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