A RECORD dating from the last century was among 19 broken at The Armidale School’s swimming championships over three days last week, culminating in a full day of competition on Friday 16 February.
Swimming in his first TAS championships, Jesse Streeting (Armidale) touched the wall in the 17 years freestyle in a time of 25:03, shaving 0.37 seconds off the previous record of 25.4 set by Adam Hall in 1999. The Year 11 student who was named senior boy champion, also set new benchmarks in the 17 years 50m butterfly, backstroke and 100m freestyle, bettering the previous best times for the events all set in 2013 by Jay Kennedy.
Another new TAS student, Toby Michell-Smith from Narrabri, broke a record nearly as old as himself – finishing the 13 years 50m butterfly in 34.09 and breaking the 34:34 set by Tim Pearson 12 years ago in 2006. Fourteen girls records were broken, reflecting the growing number of girls in the school’s third year of full co-education.
Swimming Captain and senior girl champion Lucy Fenwicke bagged seven records, the Senior Girls 200m freestyle (2:16:66) and 200m IM (2:30:32), and the 17 year girls 50m butterfly (30.:09), freestyle (28:05), backstroke )32:63), breaststroke (34:40) and 100m freestyle (1:00:78).
Eliza Ward set a new gold standard in the Junior Girls IM (3:00:06) and the 15 years 50m butterfly (34:95), backstroke (35:25), breaststroke (39:47) and 100m freestyle (55:16), while Ruby Straker bettered the previous best times for the 13 year girls 50m butterfly (39:03) and 50m backstroke (39:24).
Green House winning both the Tooth & Nail Relay trophy and the overall champion House trophy for quite possibly the first time ever. Tyrrell took out the House points/member trophy and Croft House won the War Cries competition, performed in front of hundreds of parents during long-distance events on Thursday evening.
Clockwise from top left: Lucy Fenwicke, Jesse Streeting, Toby Michell-Smith, Eliza Ward and Ruby Straker broke 19 records between them at The Armidale School’s swimming championships
