The success of the 2019-20 summer swimming season continued for the Narrabri Stingrays Swimming Club on Saturday.

Eighteen Stingrays swimmers travelled to Gunnedah for the Swimming Gunnedah Long Course Qualifying meet at the Gunnedah Memorial Pool.

Stingrays head coach Fiona Connell was pleased with her swimmers’ hunger and speed on the day.

“It was a terrific start to the 2020 part of the season,” Connell told The Courier.

“There was some fantastic best times and one of our swimmers even qualified for Country and State for the first time ever.

“Everyone in general raced really well, it was really nice to see them get up on the blocks and be ready and hungry, and in the heats actually go for it.

“We don’t usually compete this early in January, we’re in the middle of a very, very big training block right now.

“I say to the kids a lot that they don’t want to be fast in January, they want to be fast in February and March for Country Champs and school swimming, so it’s very exciting to see that they are fast this early.”

Among a long list of places and personal best times was a Country qualifying time for Pip Collins who qualified for the 2020 NSW Country Champs in the 10-years 50m freestyle.

Pip joined teammates Charlotte Penberthy and Millie Collins (two times each) and Ella Tomlinson and Frazer Penberthy (one time each) as Stingrays to have earned a Country time for the coming championships.

That event will be held at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre from Friday, February 21 to Sunday, February 23.

Before that, the club will host its annual season carnival on Saturday, February 16, at the Narrabri Aquatic Centre.

A small group of Stingrays will also travel to Woy Woy this weekend for the 2020 NSW Country Regional Meet, then another group will compete at the New England North West Speedo Sprint heats and Area Championships on February 8 and 9.

To order photos from this page click here