Waterlions’ pride in the pool

By Marc McGowan
THE Haileybury Waterlions’ junior brigade took centre stage with stunning success at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre last month.
The swimming club’s best youngsters competed at the Victorian 12 and 11-and-under Championships on 20 and 21 December.
Eleven-year-old Melanie Simpson (silver and bronze) and 12-year-olds Leon Dong (silver and bronze) and Ben Dade (bronze) produced medal-winning performances as the Waterlions finished third at the competition.
Haileybury also picked up silver medals in the boys’ 12-and-under 4 x 50m freestyle and medley relays.
Other finalists were 12-year-olds Courtney Wilkins, Jessie Curtain, Samantha Molloy, George White and William Chan, and 11-year-olds Lachlan Angel, Ben Hewitt and Noah Pabst.
Angel was unlucky to miss out on a medal – placing fourth three times and touching the wall fifth in another.
Waterlions’ head coach Wayne Lawes was delighted with his swimmers’ performances.
“They swam awesomely and we ended up third on the points’ scores with probably half the numbers of the other two major clubs (ahead of us),” he said.
“I was really thrilled with the results of our young kids. They really did a great job and there were some really outstanding efforts in those relays.”
Lawes singled out newcomer Pabst’s effort to finish fifth in the boys’ 11-and-under 100m breaststroke in his debut at state level.
“He’s only been in our junior squad for basically four or five months,” he said.
“It’s not just about necessarily winning. It’s about improving themselves and improving their skills and not evaluating it just on where they finish on the podium.
“I was excited about a kid like that as well as the Melanie Simpsons and Leons who get up there as well.”
The Victorian Age Championships for 13 to 18-year-olds began last Saturday and ended yesterday (Wednesday).
Full results were not available when Star went to press.