Merrylands' team has finished the 2026 Australian Masters Championships with 1 medal and 10 personal best times.
Kylee Murray took home only her second-ever individual National Championships medal with a bronze medal in the 800m Freestyle. In a strong field, Kylee finished just 0.72 seconds ahead of fourth place. Kylee also swam 6 new personal best times, which included a double PB in the 800m Freestyle. Leanne Tovkach swam 4 new personal best times, which included another outstanding swim in the 200m Freestyle, an event she has made huge progress in this year.
Personal Best Times
| Kylee Murray |
| |
200m Freestyle |
| |
400m Freestyle (800m split) |
| |
400m Freestyle |
| |
800m Freestyle |
| |
50m Backstroke |
| |
200m Backstroke |
| Leanne Tovkach |
| |
50m Freestyle |
| |
200m Freestyle |
| |
50m Breaststroke |
| |
100m Breaststroke |
Head coach Alison Johnston was glowing in her praise of the team: “I want to commend the team on their performances at the meet. The days were very long, with early starts and a lengthy commute to and from the pool. To be able to back up for four or five days of competition and still achieve personal best times is outstanding — I’m so proud of how well they’ve gone. Great job by the girls!”
Congratulations to our team on their results!
Thank you to Alison and our coaching staff for preparing the team and supporting them through the week.
Next Stop: Perth 2027 
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Day 5 of the Australian Masters Championships saw Kylee Murray finish off her massive program.
Despite the fatigue from a week's worth of racing, Kylee had extraordinary results in the longest event of the program - the 800m Freestyle.
Kylee set a new personal best of 12:21.38 in this event and also beat her 400m personal best set earlier this week. Kylee's performance also earned her a Bronze Medal.
A great way to finish the meet!
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On Day 4 of the Australian Masters Championships, Merrylands' swimmers recorded three personal best performances from five swims.
In the 200m Freestyle, Leanne Tovkach finished in a time of 3:48.61, recording a new personal best.
Kylee Murray also achieved a personal best in the same event, placing an excellent 6th with a time of 2:52.43.
Leanne Tovkach also contested the 25m Breaststroke, finishing 14th in 30.20 seconds.
In the 50m Backstroke, Leanne placed 16th with a time of 1:06.05, while Kylee Murray finished 10th in 45.02 seconds, recording another personal best.
The meet concludes tomorrow on Day 5, with the demanding 800m Freestyle providing a fitting final test to close out the competition.
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Day 3 of the Australian Masters Championships has seen continued progress, with one personal best recorded.
Kylee Murray swam the 25m Freestyle in a time of 16.39, which was her second fastest ever and her fastest since 2022.
She followed this with the 25m Backstroke in 21.96, again recording her second fastest swim ever and her quickest since 2022.
Kylee also contested the 200m Individual Medley, finishing in a time of 3:45.01.
She later swam the 100m Freestyle in 1:20.44, which was her fastest in the event since 2022.
Leanne Tovkach swam the 50m Breaststroke in 1:05.42, setting a new personal best and improving on her previous best from 2018.
She also completed the 100m Freestyle in a time of 1:44.67, which was her second fastest swim in that event.
Tomorrow’s program includes the 200m Freestyle, 25m Breaststroke, and 50m Backstroke.
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Day 2 of the Australian Masters Championships saw both swimmers back in action, with 3 personal bests and 1 season best recorded across the day. Kylee Murray competed in three events, while Leanne Tovkach contested one.
Kylee started her day with the 400m Freestyle in 6:12.47, a Short Course personal best, and came 6th.
Kylee then contested the 200m Backstroke, with an impressive performance, achieving another personal best time and another top 10 performance. Kylee had been working on her turns, and it paid off in this event!
Kylee rounded out the day with the 50m Butterfly in 44.79, achieving a season best time.
Leanne Tovkach swam the 100m Breaststroke in 2:29.70, recording a new personal best.
Tomorrow’s program includes the 25m Freestyle, 25m Backstroke, 50m Breaststroke, 200m Individual Medley, and the 100m Freestyle.
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Day 1 of the Australian Masters Championships saw both our team members in action with four season best times and one new personal best time.
First up in the 50m Freestyle, Kylee Murray swam her fastest short course time since 2022, while Leanne Tokvach swam a new short course PB.
In the 25m Butterfly, Kylee swam her second-fastest time ever.
In the 100m Backstroke, Kylee swam her fastest time since 2022, and Leanne swam her second-fastest time ever.
Day 2 will see our team in action in the 400m Freestyle, 100m Breaststroke, 200m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly.
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The Australian Masters Championships will be held in Brisbane from Tuesday, 28th April to Sunday, 3rd May 2026.
Merrylands will be represented by a team of 2 swimmers, competing in 21 individual events over the 6-day meet. Our team consists of:
- Kylee Murray
- Leanne Tovkach
Good luck to our swimmers at the meet!
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Merrylands' swimmers delivered outstanding performances at the Swimwest Short Course Qualifying Meet on 26 April 2026 at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
The 12‑strong team contested 43 races, recording an impressive 34 new personal best times across the competition, marking an excellent start to the short course season.
Well done to our team on their results!
Merrylands will be represented by 12 swimmers at the Swimwest Short Course Qualifying Meet on 26th April 2026 at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. The event is expected to attract broad participation from clubs across the region, creating a competitive and well‑attended meet early in the short course season.
Merrylands' team will contest 47 races across a wide range of age groups, strokes, and distances. The team consists of:
Gabriella Assi
Damien Chan
Marcus Chan
Lara Elizabeth Hannan
Patrick Hannan
Coralie Havea
William Johnston
Xavier Ou
Alison Johnston
Jay Shrestha
Lisa Shrestha
Samantha Terry
The meet provides an important opportunity for swimmers to assess their progress early in the short course season and achieve qualifying times for championship meets later in the year.
Good luck to all our swimmers competing and may the whale be with you!
Merrylands recorded excellent performances at the NSW Masters State Championships on 11-12 April 2026, with swimmers combining for a total of 10 medals, 7 season‑best times and 1 personal best at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
Kylee Murray competed in five events and finished the championships with five medals, delivering an outstanding set of performances that included five season‑best swims. Her swims in the 50m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, and 200m Individual Medley were all season‑best times. Her victory in the 200m Freestyle was also a season best and was her second‑fastest time ever in the event, surpassed only by her swim at the World Championships last year. Her medal haul included gold in the 200m Freestyle, silver in the 50m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley, and bronze in the 100m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly.
Alison Johnston also finished the meet with five medals and was one of the club’s standout performers. She secured gold medals in the 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, and 100m Butterfly. Her 200m Freestyle swim earned silver and was recorded as a season‑best performance, while she added a bronze medal in the 100m Freestyle.
Leanne Tovkach rounded out our team with a series of excellent swims. Her 100m Freestyle was her fastest performance since 2023, while her 200m Freestyle was a new personal best, marking her second swim under four minutes and improving on her previous best by 2.22 seconds. Leanne also recorded a season‑best performance in the 100m Breaststroke.
These results provide an excellent platform as the club turns its focus towards the Masters National Championships in Brisbane in May. Thank you to our coaches for their preparation of the team, and to the supporters who attended to encourage the swimmers throughout the championships.
Medal Tally