Waterlions breaststroker James McHenry fell just 0.15 of a second from claiming the 100m-200m double in his pet events after finishing second over the longer distance on the weekend.Picture: Stewart Chambers.By Marc McGowan
THE Haileybury Waterlions powered on at the Victorian Short Course Age Swimming Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on the weekend.
Backing up from day one of the championships the previous Sunday, the Waterlions scooped the pool with five gold, seven silver and six bronze medals to finish fourth overall.
Fifteen-year-old sensation Sam Nixon added another two gold medals to the three he picked up on day one.
Nixon, who competed with a fractured right leg throughout the meet, showed his versatility by swimming a breathtaking 52.16 in the 100-metre freestyle and 2:07.36 in the 200m backstroke.
Other gold medallists were 17-year-old Laura Harney (200m backstroke), 16-year-old Ally Woodlock (100m freestyle) and 15-year-old James McHenry (100m breaststroke).
The trio also achieved success in other events, with Harney recording a silver and two bronze, Woodlock winning a silver and a bronze, and McHenry falling just 0.15 of a second short of the breaststroke double in placing second in the 200m.
Twelve-year-old freestyle queen Briony Johnson also stood out, claiming silver in the 50m and 100m of her favourite stroke.
Haileybury head coach Wayne Lawes was delighted with his troop’s performance and continued to be amazed by Nixon.
“To be doing what he’s doing is pretty special. He’s been told now that he can do no running or nothing on that leg, and it should have been in plaster,” Lawes said.
“Sam has done as well as he could, but if we hadn’t had to back off on certain things on his leg, he would have gone awesome – and even faster – especially in the 100m (freestyle).”
But Lawes was at pains to put the club’s stellar results into perspective.
“This is only the start and you can label them a bit early sometimes,” he said.
“As I’ve always said, it’s great to have age group success really early, but you had better be there in eight years’ time.”
Lawes also praised silver medallist David Mummery, 16, as having “a heart like Phar Lap”, and diminutive 14-year-old Gavin Scott.
