Saturday Club Races

Club races start at 7:00am, but we still need our awesome helpers there by 6:45 latest to help set up, especially as we have the 1500m and last championship for the season. The 1500m Freestyle culminates a terrific season of championship racing. We are likely to have 2 heats and really need everyone arriving by 6.45am to help with timekeeping and to cheer on our swimmers.

Easter Fun Coming Up!

Keep an eye out around the clubhouse for our Easter Egg Jar Guessing Competition!

🍫 1 guess = $2

🍫 3 guesses = $5

We also have Easter Raffle Tickets available:

🎟 1 ticket = $2

🎟 3 tickets = $5

And don’t forget - our Easter BBQ Breakfast is on Saturday 28th!

If you have an Easter parade hat lying around at home, bring it along and wear it on the day. Some of our swim kids have already made some fantastic hats that their parents will be proudly wearing!

Let’s make it a fun morning both in and out of the pool!

Perpetual Trophies Reminder

As the final week of club races draws closer, please ensure that any perpetual trophies currently in your possession are returned, dusted and ready to be presented to their next deserving winners.

Swimmer Spotlight – Peter Mallet

This week we shine the spotlight on one of our Masters swimmers whose journey shows that it’s never too late to get back in the pool.

Tell us about your swimming journey

A: The only Learn to Swim classes I did were five free lessons at Mount Druitt Swimming Pool when I was 5 years old. Later in life, I needed a non-impact exercise to help recover from some injuries, so I started swimming on my own at Blacktown Pool. After a while it became boring swimming laps alone, so I joined Blacktown Masters for squad training (not competitive swimming). Then I needed a morning squad, which is when I signed up for Merrylands. Swimming has helped my injuries — it can’t fix everything, but it helps me stay fitter and stronger. Squad training has also helped me learn better technique and stay motivated by other swimmers. I then had another injury and took a break, but I have recently returned this season.

What brought you back to our Club?

A: I live at Doonside and Merrylands Pool is on the way home from work. If I hadn’t been injured again, I wouldn’t have stopped with Merrylands. It’s a lovely small club with nice people, and the way we train is interesting and motivating. I’ll keep coming back because I want to stay fit and keep improving.

Favourite stroke

A: I can only really do Freestyle. Backstroke and Breaststroke are OK. I cannot do Butterfly — or as I like to call it, the “drowning moth” stroke.

Best swimming achievement so far

A: Just turning up to squad training and being consistent. I haven’t missed a session since rejoining Merrylands in December 2025, and I hope to keep coming for fitness and maintenance.

Something interesting about you

A: I have five kids and a large motorcycle (ZX1400) that I love taking out for a spin. I’m also a member of an Archery Club in Werrington and have been for about 6–7 years (6..7). I do it for fitness and fun and enjoy having a yarn there while trying to get on top of the point score.

Club AGM & Annual Presentation

As the season draws to a close, we turn our eyes to planning the Club AGM and Annual Presentation.

We have selected the dates for these, so we ask that you put these in your calendar:

We will provide more information as we get closer to these dates

Coaching Reminders

Attendance Reminder:

If you know you will be away from training, please remember to mark your attendance online prior to the session/s. This helps our super-duper coaches plan sessions appropriately and make sure everyone gets the most out of training.

Training Session update:

Our last training session at Merrylands will be on 23rd April. Training will then take a one-week break before returning (at Wentworthville Pool) on 4th May… also known as Star Wars Day!

Enjoy the short break, and we look forward to seeing everyone back in the pool on May the Fourth. May the Force be with you! 🏊‍

ANZAC Day Commemoration

Members are invited to attend the ANZAC Day service at Merrylands on Saturday, 25th April. This is a wonderful opportunity for our members to come together to represent our club and pay our respects.

We meet at Merrylands RSL Club and then participate in the march to Charles Mance Reserve, 6 Newman St, Merrylands. A wreath will be laid on behalf of the club, and attendees are also invited to return afterwards at Merrylands RSL Club for a breakfast provided by the RSL club.

We encourage members who are available to come along and support this important community event. More information will be provided closer to the event, so stay tuned.

P-Plate Award

We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to recognise something silly someone has done during the season. Click on the link below to nominate someone.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Club Uniforms

Need uniform items before the end of the season? Items can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Leo Zhu represented the club at the New South Wales State Open Championships on the weekend.

Leo swam a new personal best time in the 100m Breaststroke, finishing in a time of 1:11.59, taking a massive 0.74 seconds off his best time.

Congratulations to Leo on his swim!

Saturday Club Races

Club races start at 7:00am, but we still need our awesome helpers there by 6:45 latest to help set up.

Next week (Saturday 14^th March) is our last Championship for the season. The 1500m Freestyle culminates a terrific season of championship racing. We are likely to have 2 heats and really need everyone arriving by 6.45am to help with timekeeping and to cheer on our swimmers.

Perpetual Trophies Reminder

As the final week of club races draws closer, please ensure that any perpetual trophies currently in your possession are returned, dusted and ready to be presented to their next deserving winners.

Leo Zhu – NSW State Open Championships

Congratulations to Leo Zhu, who will be competing at the NSW State Open Championships this weekend. This is a fantastic opportunity for Leo to test himself against some of the best swimmers in the state.

We wish Leo the very best in his races and are proud to see him representing Merrylands Amateur Swimming Club at this level. Good luck Leo — the whole pod is cheering you on! 💙🐋

School Carnival Season

We are loving hearing all about your school carnival results, PBs and ribbons galore! It’s fantastic to see so many of our swimmers stepping up and racing with confidence.

So please keep sending through all your fintastic achievements! 

Merrylands/Parramatta PSSA – Results

The Merrylands/Parramatta PSSA Carnival was held on Wednesday. Congratulations to all our whales that swam and thank you to all our volunteers that took the time out of there busy schedules to assist at the event (another fundraising effort for the club). A reminder that you can nominate any financial member for the Lions Club award, which is an award that is voted by the Committee based upon volunteers and helpers. Meets like this can’t run smoothly without support from our wonderful community.

Coaching Reminders

Attendance Reminder:

If you know you will be away from training, please remember to mark your attendance online prior to the session/s. This helps our super-duper coaches plan sessions appropriately and make sure everyone gets the most out of training.

Training Session update:

Our last training session at Merrylands will be on 23rd April. Training will then take a one-week break before returning (at Wentworthville Pool) on 4th May… also known as Star Wars Day!

Enjoy the short break, and we look forward to seeing everyone back in the pool on May the Fourth. May the Force be with you! 🏊‍♂️✨ 

Swimmer Spotlight – Jack Bishop

This week we shine the spotlight on Jack Bishop, one of our newer swimmers who has quickly found his place in the Merrylands pod and is enjoying both the racing and the friendships that come with club swimming.

Tell us about your swimming journey

A: I started Learn to Swim when I was about 4 years old with Royal Life Saving at Seven Hills. I didn’t want to progress to squads there as it was a 25m pool and there seemed to be a lot of shouting from the coaches. My first swimming carnival was in Year 2, and I remember nearly passing out in the 50m freestyle — but I made it to the end! I recently joined Merrylands Club and have been loving it ever since, specially making new friends and being able to see people other than my school friends.

Favourite stroke

A: Freestyle and Breaststroke. Breaststroke is very calm for me. My least favourite stroke is Backstroke because of the sun in my eyes!

Best swimming achievement so far

A: I’ve collected about 13 swimming ribbons from school carnivals — mostly first place!

Swimming goal for this year

A: At this year’s school carnival, I didn’t do the 200IM, so I’d like to work up my training this year to do the 200IM at next year’s school carnival. First step is to work on my 50m butterfly!

Something interesting about you

A: I’m a car guy. I love looking at cars and the modifications done to them. I enjoy watching drag racing and burnout competitions — my next one might be Summernats. My favourite cars would be a Chevy or a Dodge.

What happened to your nose?

A: I was doing a 360 backflip on an airbag and got friction burn.

ANZAC Day Commemoration

Members are invited to attend the ANZAC Day service at Merrylands on Saturday, 25th April. This is a wonderful opportunity for our members to come together to represent our club and pay our respects.

We meet at Merrylands RSL Club and then participate in the march to Charles Mance Reserve, 6 Newman St, Merrylands. A wreath will be laid on behalf of the club, and attendees are also invited to return afterwards at Merrylands RSL Club for a breakfast provided by the RSL club.

We encourage members who are available to come along and support this important community event. More information will be provided closer to the event, so stay tuned.

Lions Club Award Nominees

With the recent wealth of SwimFest activities there were a bundle of nominations received for the Our Lions Club award. The nominees for February were:

Thankyou to everyone who helped during the month. Whilst you may not have received a nomination we do greatly appreciate all the help we receive every week.

P-Plate Award

We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to recognise something silly someone has done during the season. Click on the link below to nominate someone.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Club Uniforms

Need uniform items before the end of the season? Items can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop.

Club AGM & Annual Presentation

As the season draws to a close we turn our eyes to planning the Club AGM and Annual Presentation.

We have selected the dates for these so we ask that you put these in your calendar:

We will provide more information as we get closer to these dates

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Saturday Club Races

Welcome back to Saturday morning club races, after a sleep in weekend last week 😊

This morning we are back (Dad joke) into our Championship events, with the 50m, 25m & 200m Backstroke Championships (this is our 2^nd last Championship weekend). Good luck to everyone competing in these races this morning.

Merrylands SwimFest

Wow, what a club we all a part of. The call went out for help for the SwimFest and as always our club family helped out in great numbers.

From all those involved in the planning and preparation for weeks leading up to the meet, to everyone who helped out on the day (with plenty arriving early to help with the setup and stay back to pack up), your participation plays a key role.

SwimFest is a success and a meet visitors enjoy coming to as the Merrylands family go above and beyond every year. A very BIG thankyou to everyone involved, as Mr Grace would say, “You’ve all done very well”.

To our team of 36 swimmers, what a great effort (55 PB’s, 10 Gold, 8 Silver and 12 Bronze personal medals, 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze relay medal). Congratulations everyone on your performances in the pool and support of your fellow team members when they were swimming.

To read a full report from the Coaches please see www.merrylandsasc.asn.au/news

Our Coaches, as always, have put a lot of work into the planning and delivery of coaching sessions aimed at helping our swimmers achieve these results. We are a very lucky club to have the calibre of dedicated Coaches we have.

And a big thankyou also to our sponsors and those who donated gifts for raffles, baked goods etc.

Vale Mavis Wilson

For many of our members you may not have known Mavis, or as we affectionately knew her, Nana May (the mother of Ian Wilson, better known as Mr Wilson). We heard the sad news on the eve of SwimFest that Nana May had passed away.

Whilst Nana May was not a member of the club, she was an avid supporter of our swimmers, in particular our Masters teams. Nana May would regularly attend Masters Championship meets, providing support for every swimmer. She would accurately record every swimmers times in her program and share the results when they returned to the stands.

Some of our best memories are when the team travelled interstate to National Championships, as she would come along as the support crew, with a particular role to look after any troublemakers. Well, guess who she had to supervise 24/7? Yes one Mr Wilson, she kept an eye on him night and day 😊

Our thoughts are with Mr Wilson and family.

🐳 School Carnival Season

We are loving hearing all about your school carnival results, PBs and ribbons galore! It’s fantastic to see so many of our swimmers stepping up and racing with confidence.

This week, we have a strong group of Whales competing at their Zone carnivals, with increased representation across all squad levels. We’re so proud of everyone giving it a go and can’t wait to hear all about your swims and successes! 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♂️💙

Merrylands Parramatta PSSA Zone Carnival

The meet is being held this Wednesday 4^th March at Merrylands Swimming Centre.

If you are able to help with setup (touchpads, shade shelters etc ) or if you are able to assist during the day and pack up it would be greatly appreciated.

As the meet commences at 8.30am we will be at the pool from 7.00am to setup. The meet will conclude to allow children to return to school for their end of day activities, so pack up will be from about 2.00pm onwards.

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop.

P-Plate Award

We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to recognise something silly someone has done during the season. Click on the link below to nominate someone.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here. 

Lions Club Award

With so many people helping out with SwimFest, the Lions Club award nomination is a way you can help recognise their efforts. Nominate them for the Lions Club Award, our peak award to recognise our volunteers over the season.

Nominate a volunteer

🎁 SwimFest Raffle Prize Winners

TriToSwim Bundle
Mandy S (MASC)

Vorgee Bundle
Edmund W (Castle Hill RSL Dolphins)

Kyle Chalmers – Small Black Shirt + Cap
Peter M (MASC)

Kyle Chalmers – Large White Shirt + Cap
Andrew G (Doncaster Dolphins Masters)

$80 Jayd Voucher
Gabriel M (MASC)

$50 Bunnings Vouchers
Lucy O (MASC)
Peter M (MASC)

2 x Raging Waters Tickets
Rohan (AquaBlitz)
Jay S (MASC)
Catherine (Other) 

$20 Fat Jaks Vouchers

Damien C (MASC)
Glenn Burt x2 (Official)
Scarlett H (MASC)
Edmund W (Castle Hill)
Alison J (MASC)
Lisa S (MASC)
Melissa M (Prairiewood)
Lan x2 (Other) 

🐳 Swimmer Spotlight: Marcus Chan

Q1: Tell us about your swimming journey

I started Learn to Swim at Fairfield Leisure Centre when I was 2 years old. I finished the final Sharks level and wanted to join my brother, Damien at Merrylands Squads. I did the trial and got accepted into Mini Squads and shortly went to Novice 2 and now in Juniors.

Q2: What I like about the Club

I like the squad people and coaches; they are kind and funny. I like how we are organised with things like timekeepers.

Q3: Favourite stroke

Breaststroke, because it's easy and doesn't tire me out like other strokes. My least favourite is butterfly because it's tiring and I struggle to breathe and it's hard for me.

Q4: Swimming Goal for this year

I have these goals for 50m:

Get below 40secs for freestyle, below 50secs for breaststroke, below 1min for fly, and under 55secs for backstroke.

When I do swim meets I see what other kids my age from other clubs can get and I want to do that too.

Q5: Something interesting about you

I'm very busy. I have lots of things going on like soccer, tutoring, karate, school and I ski. I like swimming the most and to relax I like watching anime cartoons. I'm very fast at go carting!

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Merrylands’ team of 36 swimmers continue to shine with amazing swims at our SwimFest carnival on Saturday!

Before getting to the pool results, I’d like to commend our swimmers on their performances outside of the pool.  Thank you to all the swimmers who helped set up equipment and contribute to the team effort of running the meet, and to those who helped pack up afterwards.  While there had to be too many reminders about sun safety, staying in the shade and wearing hats, the overall conduct of our swimmers was fantastic.  Our team supported, cheered on and encouraged our swimmers throughout the meet, and celebrated each other’s successes. We had our post-race post its again and it was great to see what our swimmers came up with when asked to note their highlight and improvement opportunity for each swim.  We are going to need a bigger whale for the next meet!

In terms of pool results – INCREDIBLE! I am so proud of everyone’s swims.  As a team we achieved 55 new personal best times. We have been doing a lot of racing lately between club championships, Speedo Sprint Heats and school carnivals so to achieve 55 new bests is a wonderful achievement.  I would also like to highlight the results in the Open 100s and 200s which show our swimmer’s continuing development.

While the goal is always to execute the best possible swim for each swimmer regardless of placing, it is always exciting to earn some bling.  We totalled 10 Gold, 8 Silver and 12 Bronze Medals and our relays also earned us valuable team points, with 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze Medal.  Our club came 3^rd overall on the leaderboard and was only 14 points shy of 2^nd place!

Stats

200IM – 1 PB, 1 Gold

50 Breaststroke – 13 PBs, 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze

50 Backstroke – 14 PBs, 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze

50 Freestyle – 13 PBs, 2 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze

50 Butterfly – 4 PBs, 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze

100 Butterfly – 1 PB, 2 Bronze

100 Breaststroke – 4 PBs, 1 Gold

100 Backstroke – 2 PBs, 1 Gold, 1 Bronze

100 Freestyle – 4 PBs

Let’s go WHALES!

While there was rain and storms forecast, and clouds momentarily looked menacing, the sun and swimmers were shining at the 2026 SwimFest.

Congratulations to Prairiewood on taking out the 2026 SwimFest Pointscore!

Aquablitz finished in 2^nd place and Merrylands came 3rd.

Thank you to everyone who attended the meet and for all the volunteers who gave up time to make our meet happen!

The results of the meet, including the full pointscore are available in the SwimFest section of our website.

See Also

• Merrylands SwimFest Swim Meet

Saturday Club Races

SwimFest is today!!! Please remember there will be no club races on Saturday morning.

Last week we had swimmers from all schools jumping in to compete for points.

In first place we had swimmers from Sacred Heart on 269 points. Following in second we had Shelley Public School on 147 points and in third we had Greystanes Public School & Sherwood Grange Public School with 107 points!

Congratulations to all who swam and our strong teams.

Merrylands SwimFest

Today is the day! Swimfest is literally in a few hours. Please read the schedule below and please ensure you are on time!

• 11:30am: Set up commences
• 12:30pm: Swimmers need to be at the pool
• 1:45pm: Swimmers need to be changed ready for land warm-up
• 1pm: Swimmers pool warm up commences
• 2pm: Racing commences

Let's make this meet as smooth and successful as possible and show the other clubs how AWESOME our Club is!

Message from Head Coach

Our swimmers have been practicing their pre-race warm up this week. This allows our swimmers to know how to effectively warm up their bodies, but also to prepare their minds to reduce carnival day nerves by knowing exactly what they need to do on race day.

It is important that all swimmers arrive on time for the team warm up. We have 37 swimmers entered for this meet! Swimmers need to be at the pool for 12.30pm to get their event numbers on and ready for land warm up at 12.45pm, before hitting the pool at 1:00pm.

Coaches and the Club Captains will be organising the swimmers to ensure they get to their races on time. Relay teams are listed in the Meet Program and are on the notice board at the pool.

Lastly, don’t forget your club uniforms, white club caps, hats, sunscreen, healthy snacks and drink bottles and good luck to all our swimmers!

Message from our Meet directors

Hi MASC SwimFest helpers,

Thank you all for volunteering your time this Saturday to help make our Merrylands SwimFest 2026 as smooth and successful as possible.

Here's a rundown of what everyone's allocated to help with - please let me know ASAP of any changes, eg, you can't come early, can't help during the meet or can't help to pack up etc...

For those that have already mentioned to me these things, hopefully I've captured it correctly below.

11.30am set up team: IanW, Graham, Marg, IanJ, Tricia, Alison, Peter, Sylvia, Johnson, Varant, Denise & Darla (once food ready), Praf, Uma, Ume, Danielle, Matt, Aaron (12.30pm), Katie, Alex, SteveB, Luke, SteveH, Kylee, Leanne.

During the Meet:

Blue = external helpers -  please make them feel welcome on the day!

Pack up team: Graham, Marg, IanJ, Tricia, Alison, Peter, Sylvia, Johnson, Varant, Denise, Habib, Darla, Praf, Uma, Ume, Danielle, Matt, Aaron, Katie, Alex, SteveB, Luke, SteveH, Kylee, Leanne, Lucy, Pavla

We will also keep an eye on the forecast and have an Emergency Storm pack up plan. We'll instruct you on what to do, if activated (let's hope not!).

Any questions/concerns, please reach out to me, Graham or IanW. Thanks again for your help - good luck to the swimmers and a successful meet hosted by our awesome club.

Regards,

Sylvia, Graham and IanW.

Swimmer Spotlight: Matthew Vicic

This week we shine the spotlight on a long-time member who has grown up through the lanes at Merrylands and has now come full circle as a Squad coach.

Q1: Tell us about your swimming journey

A: From 2 years old, I did Learn to Swim at Tony Shaw's Swim School in Toongabbie (no longer operating). My sister (Sophia) and brother (Michael) were already racing at MASC, and I joined in the 25m races (they didn’t have 15m races back then!). I broke the 25m time straight away! I then joined the Novice squad when I was 5 years old and I was a bit cheeky and didn’t listen very much. Peter Johnston, Ian Wilson, Rachel Johnston and Sarah Johnston were my coaches. Alison Johnston was my development coach for ages.

My first big meet was the NSW Metrops when I was about 12 years old where I swam 50m Fly, 50m Free and 100m Fly. I always hated racing — my brain didn’t co-operate. Alison gave me some advice and said not to worry about my time and just swim. I ended up doing well with significant PBs.

Q2: What makes you keep coming back to MASC?

A: I’ve now been with the club for 12 years and have come full circle and am now a Squad coach. I’m also happy I’ve still got some Club Championship Records to my name… for now! I love the social aspect — everyone here is like a big family to me.

Q3: Favourite stroke

A: Butterfly. I’ve always liked it since I was young because it was hard! I enjoy the rhythm and to stay in rhythm I sing to myself when I swim that stroke. My least favourite is Breaststroke — I just can’t do it well.

Q4: Message to the Squad kids

A: You don’t need to be fast to keep on swimming. I went through a stage where I wanted to quit because I felt I wasn’t fast enough. But then I realised that’s not why I swam — it wasn’t always about racing. Swimming is so good for the mind and clearing the brain. Swimming got me through a lot of difficult times. It’s a great mental release.

Q5: Something interesting about you

A: I’m also a musician. I was in a band of five called Pristine, you can check us out on Instagram.  I played bass guitar. We unfortunately broke up before we could start doing gigs together, but I want to get back into music again.

Q6: Swimming goal for this year

A: I’d like to come back to training more consistently, around four times a week, to improve my fitness. My challenge now is getting the motivation!

WhatsApp Group Chat

Rumour has it that there is a WhatsApp group chat with most parents from the swim club. If you would like to be apart, please speak to Syliva.

The group chat is for social purposes only and does not substitute official communication with club officials such as coaches, please stick to email strictly for anything formal. 

P-Plate Award

We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to recognise something silly someone has done during the season. Click on the link below to nominate someone.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop.

Merrylands Parramatta PSSA Zone Carnival

We will be providing our timing system and services again this year to the Merrylands Parramatta PSSA Zone carnival. This is a fundraising activity for our club.

The meet will be held on Wednesday 4^th March at Merrylands Swimming Centre.

We will need to setup touchpads, shade shelters etc for their use, so if you are able to assist with the setup or longer during the day (we will also need to pack up after the meet), please let Graham know.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Saturday Club Races

This week, championships take a break as we dive into this week's challenge, SWIM FOR YOUR SCHOOL! Good luck to all those participating! May the strongest school win!

Last week we had a number of helpers come down early to help set up all our equipment, including the touchpads. A big thankyou to all those that volunteered and help set up and also to those who packed up. If we could carry that patriotism into further weeks to help set up that would be greatly appreciated. As a club we cannot operate without our volunteers, so another big thank you to everyone who volunteers. Arriving by 6.30am lends a great hand in having races start on time at 7.00am.

Another reminder that Learn to Swim is on immediately after club races and we need to ensure club races run as quickly and smoothly as possible, so please ensure that everyone is aware of their events and when in the timeline their swim is on.

If your name is called and you are not in the marshalling area, you will miss your swim.

Merrylands SwimFest

SwimFest is only 7 sleeps away! Entries have closed so now is the time of good lucks! Thank you to all that have volunteered to help, and a reminder we have a timeline prepared for the setup jobs we need to complete, so we are asking that parents arrive by 11.30am on the day to help.

• 11:30am: Set up commences
• 12:45pm: Swimmers need to have arrived and changed ready for warm-up
• 1pm: Swimmers warm up commences
• 2pm: Racing commences

Let's make this meet as smooth and successful as possible and show the other clubs how AWESOME our Club is!

New 50m Freestyle Record

Coralie Havea set a record in the 12 yrs 50m Freestyle Championship last Saturday with a fantastic swim.

Coralie set the new record time of 30.46, beating Astrid Howton's record from the 1982/83 season by 0.79 seconds. A record that had stood for 43 years!

Head Coach Alison Johnston said, "Coralie has gone from strength to strength this season, and it has been amazing to watch her consolidate the hard work she has been putting in at training to break her first club record."

Congratulations to Coralie on her swim!

Squad Training Reminder

This is a reminder to swimmers attending squad training:

1. Please ensure that you bring all of your gear to training, this includes your cap and googles and a water bottle. All swimmers are required to have their own equipment including fins and kickboards. The equipment required for each squad is detailed on the website and can be purchased through the club shop.
2. If you will miss a session, please remember to mark your absence in the swim school system via the parent portal before the session.

Swimmer Spotlight – Ayva Whelan

This week we shine the spotlight on one of our newer members who has already shown great confidence and ambition in the pool.

Q1: Tell us about your swimming journey

My mum used to swim, and I did swimming lessons until about 8yrs old. Then I had to take a big break and didn't swim again until school swimming carnivals. In year 7, I made it to Sydney West regionals for Breaststroke and Freestyle Relay with Scarlett and some other girls at Greystanes High. I feel proud of this achievement because I only had the learn to swim skills learnt up to 8yrs old and practicing on my own. This gave me the confidence to take my swimming further and join a club. My friends recommended Merrylands Squad and shortly after, I trialled and I signed up!

Q2: Having joined MASC only four months ago, what do you like about the Club?

People are nice here and very warm and inviting.

Q3: What's your favourite stroke?

Breaststroke. I can breathe easy and I don't get water in my eyes like backstroke. Butterfly is my enemy as it's a lot of physical effort (which I don't mind! Just my least favourite stroke).

Q4: What is your swimming goal for this year?

Make it to State for breaststroke and Freestyle relay!

Q5: Something interesting about you?

I love writing short stories and poems, particularly the symbolism. I've submitted lots and hoping to get something published.

P-Plate Award

We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to recognise something silly someone has done during the season. Click on the link below to nominate someone.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Lions Club Award

Seen someone that deserves recognition for their efforts in helping? Nominate them for the Lions Club Award, our peak award to recognise our volunteers over the season.

Nominate a volunteer

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop.

With the cooler month’s approaching (we don’t call it winter) you may need a club hoodie. These require a special order to be placed with our suppliers. If you are interested in ordering a club hoodie, please speak to Margaret (our fantastic Property Officer) today as she will be placing an order to receive them before the season ends.

No Club Races next Saturday morning

With the Merrylands SwimFest being held next Saturday afternoon there are no club races or Learn to Swim lessons next Saturday morning.

Enjoy the sleep in before we get back into club races the following Saturday, 28^th February, with the 25m, 50m & 200m Backstroke Championships 😊

Merrylands Parramatta PSSA Zone Carnival

We will be providing our timing system and services again this year to the Merrylands Parramatta PSSA Zone carnival. This is a fundraising activity for our club.

The meet will be held on Wednesday 4^th March at Merrylands Swimming Centre.

We will need to setup touchpads, shade shelters etc for their use, so if you are able to assist with the setup or longer during the day (we will also need to pack up after the meet), please let Graham know.

Metro South West 5-8 Development Meet

This is a meet we encourage all of our 5 to 8 year swimmers to enter. It is a great introduction to races outside of the club environment and a chance to swim as a team representing our club.

Please note the date of the meet has changed and is now being held on the afternoon of Sunday 29^th March 2026 at The Gordon Fetterplace Aquatic Centre, The Pkwy, Bradbury.

Entries can be submitted via SwimCentral.

School Carnivals

We enter the season of school swimming carnivals and wish all of our club swimmers good luck as they compete and try to make it to the next level of meets.

Make sure you send us stories about your school swimming carnival so that we can share & celebrate your success with your club mates.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.

Coralie Havea set a new record in the 50m Freestyle Championship this morning with a fantastic swim.

Coralie set a new record in the 12yrs 50m Freestyle in a time of 30.46, beating Astrid Howton's record from the 1982/83 season by 0.79 seconds. A record that had stood for 43 years!

Head Coach Alison Johnston said, "Coralie has gone from strength to strength this season, and it has been amazing to watch her consolidate the hard work she has been putting in at training to break her first club record."

Congratulations to Coralie on her swim!

See Also

• Championship Records

Saturday Club Races

Welcome to the third club race championship of 2026. Today's championships are the 25m, 50m and 200m Freestyle. Good luck to all those participating!

We will be using our touchpads this morning in testing for SwimFest. As you know there is a fair bit of setup to have all the touchpads installed ready for racing to commence. With a packed morning program (Freestyle championships are our most popular championship morning) we need extra helpers bright and early at pool deck to help set up at 6:15am.

With Learn to Swim also starting today after club races we need to ensure club races run as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Please ensure your family of swimmers are aware of what events they are swimming and are ready at marshalling before their name is even called!

Merrylands SwimFest

SwimFest is only 2 weeks away! The last chance for all swimmers to enter is today (entries close online at 5:00pm). So, if you have not entered yet make sure you do when you are back home after club races today.

Thank you to all that have volunteered to help, we are still in need of some awesome bakers for our bake sale. So, if you're interested in baking some baked goods, please speak to Sylvia ASAP.

We have a timeline prepared for the setup jobs we need to complete, so we are asking that parents arrive by 11.30am on the day to help.

• 11:30am: Set up commences
• 12:45pm: Swimmers need to have arrived and changed ready for warm-up
• 1pm: Swimmers warm up commences
• 2pm: Racing commences

Please remember that SwimFest is a whole pod effort and cannot be done without the support of our fantastic volunteers, so if you are able to help, please speak to Sylvia.

Let's make this meet as smooth and successful as possible and show the other clubs how AWESOME our Club is!

Speedo Sprint Series

Merrylands’ team of 15 swimmers delivered outstanding performances at the Metro South West Speedo Sprint Heats at Sydney Olympic Park last Sunday. Our swimmers competed in 49 individual events and achieved an incredible 40 new personal best times with every swimmer contributing to the PB tally. The Breaststroke events were particularly impressive, especially coming just one day after our Breaststroke Club Championships, with many swimmers lowering their times twice in two days. Across the meet, the team recorded PBs in nearly every event, highlighting strong progress in Freestyle, Butterfly, Backstroke and Breaststroke, and showcasing the impact of consistent training and skill development across all squads.

Beyond the times on the scoreboard, our swimmers demonstrated excellent race skills, particularly in their starts and finishes, reflecting the hard work happening in Development, Junior and Novice squads. It was also fantastic to see swimmers increasingly analysing their races and learning from each swim, a key part of long-term improvement.

Outside the pool, the team spirit was just as impressive, with swimmers cheering each other on, helping swimmers to marshall and celebrating achievements together. A big thank you to all parents and families for their support throughout the day, and to Alison, Peter, and Matt for preparing the swimmers so well for competition and a special thank you for Peter and Alison being there supporting all our swimmers!

From cheers to positive encouragement, parents and swimmers showed exactly what Merrylands is all about. Teamwork!

Lions Club Nominees

Our club cannot operate without our amazing volunteers, the Lions Club award recognises our volunteers, this month we received nominations for:

Thanks again to all our volunteers, and if you would like a chance to get on this list, help around the club as much as possible. If you would like to nominate someone, you can do so Here: Lions club.

Squad Training Reminder

If you will miss a session please remember to mark your absence in the swim school system via the parent portal.

Club Records Broken – 50m Breaststroke Championships

Congratulations to Pavla Hannan and Leo Zhu, who both set new club records in the 50m Breaststroke Championships last week!

Pavla lowered her own Veterans 50m Breaststroke record, stopping the clock at 52.22, an impressive 1.53 seconds faster than her previous mark set just last year, a fantastic achievement.

Leo followed with another record-breaking swim, taking 1.77 seconds off the long-standing 16 years 50m Breaststroke record, finishing in 33.52. The previous record had been held by Anthony Ventra (set in 2009).

A huge congratulations to both Pavla and Leo on their outstanding performances! 🐋💙

Swimmer Spotlight – William Johnston

This week we shine the spotlight on a swimmer who has grown steadily from Learn to Swim into Development squad and loves both the racing and the social side of our club.

Q1: Tell us about your swimming journey

A: I started Learn to Swim as a toddler with one of my mum’s friends in Bankstown — I also swam the 15m club races as a toddler! Then I did Learn to Swim with the Merrylands Swimming Club on Saturdays with our wonderful club instructors. I’ve been swimming consistently since and have now progressed into Development squads.

Q2: What is your favourite thing about our Club?

A: I love the social side of the club, seeing all my friends and hanging out with them… and then maybe the swimming part!

Q3: What is your favourite stroke?

A: Backstroke! It’s nice and chill. My least favourite is Breaststroke because it’s slow and tiring.

Q4: What is your proudest swimming achievement?

A: Getting a big 5-second PB in the 100m Freestyle at SOPAC’s MSW Long Course Championships in November 2025. At first, I thought it was a timing issue, but it was true and I was so excited! My parents said I did a really good job. I’m also proud of making it to my school’s Zone swimming carnival every year for all strokes.

Q5: What is your swimming goal for this year?

A: Crack down on my 400m Freestyle time which is currently in the 7 minutes. I haven’t done it in a while, and I want to get into the 6 minutes!

Q6: What is something interesting about you?

A: I love reading about maps and atlases. I even like watching TV shows about trains just to see the train routes. I know all the Sydney CityRail and Regional network maps. My favourite train journey was the Sydney–Melbourne XPT overnight ride, it was very comfortable having the train rocking me to sleep.

P-Plate Award

We like to recognise and reward all efforts during the season, and the P-Plate award is the perfect way to recognise something silly someone has done during the season. Click on the link below to nominate someone.

Nominate a silly mistake

Seen a Problem? Get it Fixed

We have recently logged issues with Council about the changerooms (repairs & cleaning) and the loose tiles on the pool coping, so we know raising issues flags them for attention by Council.

If you see something that needs fixing you can elevate this directly with Council by logging the issue here.

Club Uniforms

We have a great range of club uniforms in stock available for sale. These can be purchased through the club’s online shop club shop.

With the cooler month’s approaching (we don’t call it winter) you may need a club hoodie. These require a special order to be placed with our suppliers. If you are interested in ordering a club hoodie, please speak to Margaret (our fantastic Property Officer).

Merrylands Parramatta PSSA Zone Carnival

We will be providing our timing system and services again this year to the Merrylands Parramatta PSSA Zone carnival. This is a fundraising activity for our club.

The meet will be held on Wednesday 4^th March at Merrylands Swimming Centre.

We will need to setup touchpads, shade shelters etc for their use, so if you are able to assist with the setup or longer during the day (we will also need to pack up after the meet), please let Graham know.

Tri to Swim – SwimFest prize pack

We are pleased to let you know that we have received a great prize pack donated by Tri to Swim for the SwimFest raffle (thank you Kylee for the referral). Tri to Swim are a family business and have been operating since 2018.

Tri to Swim cater for performance swimming and competition along with squad training swimwear and essential equipment.

They stock Arena, Speedo, Engine, Funkita, Finis, Vorgee, Amanzi and DMC. For those wishing to purchase a Racesuit, they can also assist with fitting.

10% member discount for local swim club members (with free sign up).

Contact information and hours of operation:

4a/89 Batt St, Jamisontown. NSW. 2750

Phone: 0424464407

Email: tritoswim@yahoo.com

Open Wed-Fri 11am - 5pm & Sat 10am-2pm

“The Difference between an Interest and a Commitment”

If you know a business that would like to assist with sponsorship or prizes for raffles etc, please speak to Graham.

Upcoming Meet Calendar

Check the website for the full list of upcoming meets, closing dates, programs and qualifying times.