Hey everyone!
It’s Chelsea, your female Club Captain for this season. Andrew has passed the baton to Albert and I to write the Masters meet follow-up blogs, so wish us luck as we have some big shoes to fill!
I’ll be covering Woodside, the last meet before the new year to wrap up a great season for UniSA. Beautiful weather for this outdoor meet and Andrew, Alvin, Gary, Alex, Kimberley and myself were sure thankful for it.
Alex made a great show of bravery in the opening hour, having put himself down for the 400 free while the rest of us swam no greater than 100m. He good crack though, and immediately lined back up at marshalling for the 100 breast! Fatigue certainly hit him for this race, but thankfully he had some time before his 50 free. By the time his 3rd race came around, he had already finished his individual races before Gary had even started!
The 50 free was a good one to watch. Gary and I joined Alex in the final heat, all seeded with a 29. Even though Alex had done two big races beforehand, we knew he wouldn’t be easy to beat. I remember feeling surprised on the 25m turn, seeing Alex right beside me! In the end, the race came down to whoever kept their head down and finished the strongest. Alex just got me on the touch for the win, with Gary close behind.
Alvin and Andrew entered Woodside attempting the 25, 50 and 100 fly events together. First up was the 25, with Alvin just out-touching Andrew with a 12.45 to his 13.37. Next came the 50 and another close finish, leaving the score 2-0 Alvin’s way. Finally, it was time for the 100. Alvin and Andrew were joined by Kimberley for this race, the latter two adopting a very interesting race plan. They tried finishing the race in as few strokes possible, and sadly for Andrew, this left Alvin the clear winner for their 100m.
Kimberley had another two fantastic races, breaking the 30 seconds for her 50 free in 29.98 and coming home in a great 33.08 for her 50 fly.
We finished the day with two relays, the men’s 4x50 free and mixed 4x50 medley. Alvin led off the men’s relay, giving the team a clear head-start. Alex and Andrew followed suit, moving further away from the pack with each stroke, and Gary came home in a strong victory for the boys. Alvin again lead off the mixed medley with backstroke, giving us a crazy lead despite concerns about a slippery wall for his start and swimming backstroke in a straight line in the outdoor pool. I covered the breaststroke, Andrew the fly and Kimberley the freestyle, putting us almost 20 seconds before second place. Two great victories for UniSA!
Special mentions to Lexi, Jackie, Brandon, Nick and Sam who came to support those racing for the entire meet. Brandon supplied our swimmers with a wealth of snacks (including some excellent cheese toasties) and Nick sat as timekeeper from the first event until the very last. Thanks for coming out guys!
Have a Merry Christmas all, stay safe and enjoy the break.
Alex Ljamin
400m Freestyle: 5:15.03
100m Breaststroke: 1:26.97
50m Freestyle: 28.79
Chelsea Robinson
25m Butterfly: 14.41
50m Freestyle: 28.94
100m Freestyle: 1:04.76
Alvin Fu
25m Butterfly: 12.45
50m Butterfly: 27.99
100m Butterfly: 1:06.92
Andrew Truong
25m Butterfly: 13.37
50m Butterfly: 28.79
100m Butterfly: 1:18.35
Kimberley Vidura
50m Freestyle: 29.98
50m Butterfly: 33.08
100m Butterfly: 1:19.32
Gary Lai
50m Freestyle: 30.40
100m Freestyle: 1:08.40
50m Breaststroke: 38.16
Men's 4x50m Freestyle Relay
Alvin Fu
Alex Ljamin
Andrew Truong
Gary Lai
1:49.44
Mixed 4x50m Medley Relay
Alvin Fu
Chelsea Robinson
Andrew Truong
Kimberley Vidura
2:07.30