Narrabri Stingrays set a high standard for the 2022/23 season at Gunnedah long course carnival

A keen group of Narrabri Stingrays swimmers began the 2022/23 season in style at the Gunnedah Memorial Pool on Sunday with some brilliant efforts and results.

Swimming Gunnedah’s long course carnival was initially scheduled to be run as a two-day meeting, however, the club made the decision to hold a one-day carnival this year amid the flooding both in town and across the region.

Nine Stingrays swimmers took part on the day, and they did so admirably, with 27 personal best times set, 19 placings achieved and one Gunnedah pool record broken.

The squad’s youngest swimmer in action on the day was seven-year-old Harper Greentree, who well and truly had a carnival to remember. Harper won the eight-years-and-under girls’ 25-metre breaststroke, backstroke, and freestyle races and placed second in the eight-years-and-under girls’ 25-metre butterfly event. She set personal best times in all four strokes, the largest of which was 4.84 seconds in breaststroke, and she also wrote her name in the history books when she set a new Gunnedah pool record in the eight-years-and-under girls’ 25-metre freestyle event with a time of 24.92 seconds.

Harper’s sister Ruby also enjoyed a successful day. The 10-year-old entered eight events and set six personal best times, the largest of which was 21.40 seconds in the 200-metre individual medley. She also brought her 50-metre butterfly time below a minute for the first time with an 11.04-second PB.

Teammate Bridie Seymour also set six personal best times in Gunnedah, one of which was a huge 25 seconds in the 100-metre breaststroke. The 11-year-old also swam a 15.80-second personal best time in the 50-metre breaststroke as well as a 15.66 PB in the 50-metre butterfly.

Eight-year-old Stingrays swimmer William Hayne impressed in the pool at the Gunnedah meeting. He raced to a win in the eight-years-and-under boys 25-metre freestyle, a second-place finish in the eight-years-and-under boys 25-metre backstroke and a third-place finish in the eight-years-and-under boys 25-metre butterfly. He also set one personal best time on the day, which was in the 50-metre freestyle, as he shaved 2.87 seconds from his previous best time.

William’s brother Jackson Hayne was also in action on Sunday, and he set three new personal best times. The 10-year-old’s largest PB at the meet was 5.65 seconds in the 100-metre freestyle.

The eldest of the nine Narrabri Stingrays swimmers that competed in Gunnedah on Sunday was Daniel Smith. The 15-year-old lined up in eight events and swam his way to podium finishes in all eight, while setting two new personal best times. He was victorious in the 13-years-and-over mixed 50-metre butterfly and set a 1.95-second PB in that race. He placed second in two events, which were the 13-years-and-over boys 50-metre freestyle and the 13-years-and-over mixed 100-metre backstroke, and placed third in five events, which were the 13-years-and-over mixed 50-metre and 100-metre breaststroke, 100-metre freestyle, and 50-metre backstroke, and the boys’ 200-metre individual medley.

Daniel’s sister Ava Smith was also among the placings on Sunday. The 13-year-old entered seven races at the Gunnedah meeting and set five new personal best times, the largest of which was 6.21 seconds in the girls’ 200-metre medley. She placed second in that event and finished third in the 13-years-and-over mixed 50-metre butterfly and 50-metre backstroke and the 13-years-and-over girls’ 50-metre freestyle.

The other Smith sibling in action on the day was Hunter Smith. The 13-year-old competed in three events and set a 7.87-second personal best time in the 400-metre freestyle.

Ten-year-old Stingrays teammate Ryan Warnock also travelled to swim in Gunnedah but unfortunately went home sick after his first race.

The Gunnedah carnival was the first in the New England and North West region for season 2022/23 after Wee Waa Swimming Club’s Swim League Australia Gala Day, which was scheduled for Saturday, October 29, was called off amid flooding. That meeting has been rescheduled for Saturday, January 21.

Next up in the New England and North West Region is the 360 Scully Park Swimming Club’s two-day long course qualifying meet this Friday and Saturday, November 11 and 12, in Tamworth.

Narrabri Stingrays Swimming Club will host its long course qualifying meet on Saturday, December 10.