The Champion of Champions

29 April 2008 Peter-Johnston Features
The Champion of Champions is one of the most prestigious trophies that is awarded at the Presentation Evening. However the Champion of Champions is the only point score for which there are no specific races held during the year. Instead, the point score is a cumulation of the various competitions run during the summer season in an attempt to find and recognise the club's top swimmer for the year.

The Champion of Champions trophy was first presented in 1995/1996 after the club's committee decided to create an award to recognise the club's top swimmer each season. Loosely described as the "Swimmer of the Year", the recipients performances in all the club's Saturday morning competitions are taken into account, but also included are their results while representing the club at the various Area, Metropolitan, State and National Championships held throughout the summer season.
The point score is designed to encourage swimmers to swim at a competitive level within the Club and at a Representative level.

All members who compete in the Club Age Championships in the summer season are automatically included in the point score but how it is calculated is a little more complicated. So how is the point score calculated and what do you have to do to win the competition?

Firstly, all the points that swimmers receive in the standard Saturday morning competition, the Graded Races point score, are added to each swimmer's Champion of Champions point score. So if you have done well in this competition, you are already off to a good start.

Next, points from the Club's Age and Open Championships are included in the point score, however this is where it gets a bit more complex.
To recognise and rate the achievements of swimmers in their championship races, a formula is applied to each event's results. As some swimmers might have 3 or 4 swimmers in their age group and another swimmer might have only 1, swimmers who beat more swimmers in a championship race get more points in the Champion of Champions point score.
So, for example, in the Championship point score, all swimmers get 4 points for winning a championship race, but when the formula is applied, a swimmer who came first, but has only had to beat 1 other swimmer to win that race, will get 8 points while a swimmer in another age group who also won their race, but had to beat 3 other swimmers to win, will get 16 points.
The same process is applied to both the Club Age and Open Championships.
Points are also awarded for each Championship record broken by a swimmer.

Lastly performances at swimming meets over the summer are taken into account. Swimmers are awarded points for their results at the Merrylands SwimFest, Speedo Sprint Series Heats & Finals, Cumberland Championships, Cumberland Sprint Meet, Cumberland 5-8yrs Meet, Metropolitan, State and National Championships. The more events you swim, the more points you get.

The final point score is usually fairly close but none closer than last year's result where first and second were separated by only 15 points. The big question is, who will win this year?

The exact details of the Champion of Champions pointscore, including points awarded for various events are listed in the Race By-Laws.

Did you know?
  • In the last 12 seasons, only 5 different swimmers have won the competition with most of them having won it on multiple occasions.


  • 3 swimmers have won the competition more than once. Giuliano Soto, Robert Griffey and Brittany Johnson.


  • Robert Griffey and Brittany Johnson have won the competition the most times, winning it on 4 occasions each.


  • Matthew Buckler and Peter Johnston are the only swimmers to have won both the Graded Races Point Score and the Champion of Champions point score.


  • Brittany Johnson is the only female to have won the point score.


  • The club used to run a Swim-A-Thon as a fundraising activity each season. Each swimmer who participated in the Swim-A-Thon was awarded 25 Champion of Champions points.


  • The current Champion of Champions Trophy was donated by the Johnston Family.


Past Winners
1995/96 Matthew Buckler
1996/97 Giuliano Soto
1997/98 Giuliano Soto
1998/99 Peter Johnston
1999/2000 Robert Griffey
2000/01 Robert Griffey
2001/02 Robert Griffey
2002/03 Robert Griffey
2003/04 Brittany Johnson
2004/05 Brittany Johnson
2005/06 Brittany Johnson
2006/07 Brittany Johnson


See Also
  • Champion of Champions

  • Race By-Laws

    • 2006/2007 Season Review

    30 September 2007 Peter-Johnston Features
    2006/2007 saw some of the closest finishes in club competitions for years along with some excellent representative results as the club marked the completion of another successful season.

    The 2006/2007 season again began with some brilliant October weather. Despite the good weather, numbers were down slightly at both the weekly Saturday morning races and weekday training sessions.

    The club's Learn to Swim program however continued to increase in popularity and numbers, with 74 children enrolled while Brittany Johnson completed her Austswim Qualifications to increase our Instructor ranks.

    In the club competitions, some members were able to successfully defend their titles while some events saw the emergence of new champions. "The Swimmers" backed up their 2005/2006 win in the Relay Competition to take out the title for the second time. In the Senior Handicap, Peter Johnston topped the pointscore for the 6th time to equal Glenda Wood's record number of titles.

    In one of the closest finishes in years, Brittany Johnson won the Champion of Champions Award for the fourth year in a row, just 15 points ahead of Peter Johnston. Brittany won both her Age and Open Championships, placed second in the Female Graded Pointscore and set 9 club records. Brittany also represented the club at the Metropolitan Championships.
    Meanwhile, Taysha Wilson was presented with the Jack Smart Encouragement Award after steadily improving over the season.

    In the Graded Pointscore, Peter Johnston finished with the highest number of points overall. Mitchell Burt, was awarded the Michael Rossek Trophy for the highest placed Junior Boy in the Graded Races Pointscore while Amber Johnson received the Ronald Exley Trophy for the highest placed Junior Girl. Amber's victory in the Graded Pointscore further extended her record number of wins in the competition to have now won the competition on 5 separate occasions.

    2006/2007 saw some changes to our representative teams while the number of swimmers representing the club remained about the same. During the season we had swimmers competing at all levels up to and including State Age Championships with our teams consisting of a mixture of new and experienced swimmers. Some swimmers returned to teams after not qualifying in previous years, some were rookies, qualifying for their first representative team while others added new events to their roster or qualified for new teams.
    Anthony Ventra qualified for the State Championships for the first time while Amber Johnson qualified for the Metropolitan Short Course Championships for the first time since 2004.
    At the Cumberland Short Course Championships, the club had finalists in over 70% of the events we contested with Timothy Tunks qualifying for his first District Championships and Anthony Ventra taking home a medal in the 50m Breaststroke, making this year's meet one of the club's best team performances at the championships since they began in 2002.
    Four of our swimmer's performances at District meets over the summer were recognised with selection in the 2007 Cumberland District Development Squads with Anthony and Amber scoring top 3 finishes at the NSW Development Meet.

    In the Club Championships, the Open Mens Championship was the most hotly contested with 13 swimmers competing. The 12yrs Boys Age Championship was also well contested with 6 swimmers competing. 13 Championship records were broken over the season.

    Brittany Johnson
    16yrs Girls 50m Freestyle (Sue Corkin, 1982/1983)
    16yrs Girls 100m Freestyle (Angela McQueen, 2001/2002)
    16yrs Girls 200m Freestyle (Angela McQueen, 2001/2002)
    16yrs Girls 400m Freestyle (Sue Corkin, 1982/1983)
    16yrs Girls 50m Backstroke (Merran Lee, 1974/1975)
    16yrs Girls 50m Breaststroke (Meaghan Legge, 2001/2002)
    16yrs Girls 100m Breaststroke (Carolyn Exley, 1973/1974)
    16yrs Girls 50m Butterfly (Sue Corkin, 1982/1983)
    16yrs Girls 100m Butterfly (Sue Corkin, 1982/1983)
    Mitchell Emery
    16yrs Boys 400m Freestyle (Todd Jenkin, 2004/2005)
    Open Mens 1500m Freestyle (Mitchell Emery, 2005/2006)
    Anthony Ventra
    13yrs Boys 50m Breaststroke (Todd Jenkin, 2001/2002)
    Ian Wilson
    Veterans Mens 50m Backstroke (Stephen McFarlane, 2000/2001)


    2006/2007 also saw the running of our annual swimming meet, the Merrylands SwimFest, at Merrylands for the fifth time. The weather was outstanding with the meet held in excellent conditions and running very smoothly. The meet again featured the use of AOE & SAT timing equipment and this year had a record number of entries. 39 of our swimmers competed at the meet, winning 31 medals and also narrowly winning the club pointscore, just 12 points ahead of Wentworthville.

    Our Winter Competition was held for the fourth time and despite low numbers those attending had a good time. Anthony Ventra won the male competition and Belinda Sloane the female competition.

    Finally, towards the end of the season it was announced that Swimming NSW would be changing the District Boundaries of the Metropolitan Districts, merging the existing 8 districts into 4 new areas. As a result, the Cumberland District will cease to exist as of 31st March 2008.

    See Also
  • 2006/2007 Rankings

  • 2006/2007 Presentation Evening

  • NSW Metropolitan Championships - Team

  • NSW Metropolitan Championships - Results

  • Cumberland Open & Age Championships - Team

  • Cumberland Open & Age Championships - Results

  • NSW Metropolitan Short Course Championships - Team

  • NSW Metropolitan Short Course Championships - Results

  • NSW State Age Short Course Championships - Team

  • NSW State Age Short Course Championships - Results

  • Cumberland Open & Age Short Course Championships - Team

  • Cumberland Open & Age Short Course Championships - Results

  • NSW Short Course Development Meet - Results

  • Cumberland Development Squads

    • The Senior Handicap

    09 May 2007 Peter-Johnston Features
    The Senior Handicap is one of the tightest competitions of the summer season. As with the Graded Point Score, the competition is held every week of the summer season so swimming consistently is important. However strategy can also play a part in the competition.

    The Senior Handicap is held for swimmers aged 17 years and over and is the competition with the greatest potential for confusion among both rookie competitors and officials.

    The Handicap is the only competition held where the swimmers start the race at different times. Swimmers are seeded in races based on their entry time but are given a time handicap (which is based on their entry time). The slowest swimmer starts on ‘Go’ and the other swimmers start as their handicap numbers are called. Points are awarded based on placings in each heat, with 8 points for 1st place in a heat down to 1 point for 8th place.

    The staggered start leads to very close finishes with all the swimmers in a heat often separated by less than a second, really testing the Finish Judges and Recorders.

    As with the Graded Point Score, seed times are calculated based on the swimmers best time from their last three handicap races. So if a competitor swims faster than their seed time, the next week they will have a faster seed time and therefore a higher handicap. But there is a catch, if a swimmer beats their seed time by more than two seconds, they are disqualified and receive no points for the race. They also have to swim against that time the next week.

    If a competitor swims slower than their seed time three weeks in a row, then the following week their seed time will be slower and they will have a lower handicap. These weekly changes to the seed times, and as a result the swimmer's handicaps, mean that from one week to the next, swimmers may move around within their heat or even from one heat to another.

    With all of these variables, strategy can play a part in the competition. Do you go for the win in your heat and possibly risk disqualification or are you happy to settle for second or third this week? But whether you have a strategy or not, you still need to swim well each week. If you are looking for some tips, Glenda Wood is the person to ask. Just don't expect too much help, after all, she is still competing for the trophy herself each week.

    Did you know?
    • In the last 26 seasons, only 14 different swimmers have won the competition as many of them have won it on multiple occasions.


    • 6 swimmers have won the competition more than once. Glenda Wood, Amanda Smart, Margaret Edwards, Jim Hayes, Peter Johnston and Glen Stanford.


    • Glenda Wood has won the competition the most times, winning it on 6 occasions.


    • Peter Johnston has the longest winning streak, winning the competition 5 years in a row from 1999/2000 to 2003/04.


    • There has been 3 seasons where there was a tie for first place in the competition. In 1981/82 Glenda Wood and B. Taylor shared the trophy. 10 years later in 1991/92 the trophy was jointly awarded again, this time to Jim Hayes and Laurie Hamilton. In 1995/96, Amanda Smart and Michelle Hayes finished equal first.


    • The highest handicap this season was 28 seconds. Malcolm Bleeker had to swim off this time on 3 occasions.


    • The current Handicap Trophy was first awarded in 1980/81 and was donated by the J. Taylor Family.


    Past Winners
    1980/81 G. Pedley
    1981/82 Glenda Wood, B. Taylor
    1982/83 Glenda Wood
    1983/84 Glenda Wood
    1984/85 Amanda Smart
    1985/86 Margaret Edwards
    1986/87 Lyn Daly
    1987/88 L. Stephan
    1988/89 Graham Edwards
    1989/90 Jim Hayes
    1990/91 Jim Hayes
    1991/92 Laurie Hamilton, Jim Hayes
    1992/93 Amanda Smart
    1993/94 Margaret Edwards
    1994/95 Glenda Wood
    1995/96 Amanda Smart, Michelle Hayes
    1996/97 Michael Sutherland
    1997/98 Glenda Wood
    1998/99 Glenda Wood
    1999/2000 Peter Johnston
    2000/01 Peter Johnston
    2001/02 Peter Johnston
    2002/03 Peter Johnston
    2003/04 Peter Johnston
    2004/05 Glen Stanford
    2005/06 Glen Stanford


    See Also
  • Senior Handicap

  • Race By-Laws

    • 2005/2006 Season Review

    30 September 2006 Peter-Johnston Features
    2005/2006 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Merrylands Amateur Swimming Club. The appointment of a new coach and a revamped training program, the break through of some new swimmers to our representative teams and an increase in club members were just some of the events in another successful season.

    The 2005/2006 season was preceded by the search for, and appointment of a new coach, following the resignation of long-time coach Kristen Sunner. With some big shoes to fill, one of the club's former assistant coaches, Peter Johnston, was eventually appointed to the position, closely followed by the appointment of 3 new assistant coaches.

    The new season began with some brilliant October weather, attracting new members to the club for both the weekly Saturday morning races and weekday training sessions.

    The club's Learn to Swim program continued to increase in popularity and numbers. The highlight of the season being the addition of 5 new Austswim Qualified Instructors (Nathan Cause, Todd Jenkin, Sarah Johnston, Meaghan Legge and Rhys Legge) to our Instructor ranks.

    The 2005/2006 season also saw the running of the Open 1500m Freestyle Championships for Men and Women for the second time. Held on a Friday night in February again, 9 swimmers battled it our over the 30 laps. Both Championship records were broken, with the Mens event won by Mitchell Emery and the Womens by Brittany Johnson.

    The season's events remained largely unchanged from the previous year. Some members were able to successfully defend their titles while some events saw the emergence of new champions. Having broken Team Johnston's strangle hold on the Relay Competition last year, the Merrylands Mermaids were unable to defend their title as a new team "The Swimmers" swept all before them, convincingly winning the competition. In the Senior Handicap, it was a different story as Glen Stanford dominated the competition for a second year straight.

    Brittany Johnson received the Champion of Champions Award for the third year in a row after winning both her Age and Open Championships, placing second in the Female Graded Pointscore and setting 11 club records. Brittany also represented the club at the Cumberland and Metropolitan Championships and also qualified for her first ever State Championships.
    At the other end of the scale, Stephanie Ibrahim was presented with the Jack Smart Encouragement Award after steadily improving over the season.

    In the Graded Pointscore, Greg Stanford, was awarded the Michael Rossek Trophy for the highest placed Junior Boy in the Graded Races Pointscore while Amber Johnson received the Ronald Exley Trophy for the highest placed Junior Girl. Amber's victory in the Graded Pointscore made her the most successful Graded Pointscore swimmer in the club's history, becoming the only swimmer to have won the competition on 4 separate occasions.

    2005/2006 was also a turning point for our representative teams. After a gradual decline over the last couple of years, the number of swimmers representing our club during the season increased slightly. The moving of the Summer Metropolitan Championships to early March from its usual December date (due the Commonwealth Games) helped to boost our team numbers, giving our swimmers extra time to qualify for the meet.
    During the season we had swimmers competing at all levels up to and including State Age Championships with our teams consisting of a mixture of new and experienced swimmers. Some swimmers returned to teams after not qualifying or competing in the previous year, some were rookies, qualifying for their first representative team while others added new events to their roster or qualified for new teams.
    Brittany Johnson qualified for her first State Championships while Anthony Ventra qualified for the Metropolitan Championships for the first time, competing at both the Long & Short Course Championships. Brittany became our first Metropolitan Finalist since 2003, finishing 7th in the 100m Breaststroke at the Short Course Championships. Both Brittany and Anthony also won their first ever District Championship medals at the Cumberland Short Course Championships, both in the 50m Breaststroke.
    Our club was also represented by relay teams at both the State Age & District Championships for the first time since 2001, with our Boys 11-12yrs 4x50m Medley Relay team winning the silver medal at the Cumberland Championships.
    Five of our swimmer's performances at District meets over the summer were recognised with selection in the 2006 Cumberland District Development Squads.
    Our representative teams would have been even larger without the removal of the 50m events from the Short Course programs for the Metropolitan & State Age Championships. The changes to the programs meant that 3 swimmers missed out on competing at these meets.

    In the Club Championships, the Senior Mens Age Championship was the most hotly contested with 9 swimmers competing in the age group. The 12yrs Boys Age Championship was also well contested with 6 swimmers competing and two swimmers finishing equal first. 19 Championship records were broken over the season, the same number as the previous season.

    Rachel Johnston
    Senior Womens 50m Backstroke (Karen Pender, Kristy Smith, 1997/98)
    Todd Jenkin
    Senior Mens 100m Freestyle (Robert Griffey, 2001/02)
    Senior Mens 50m Breaststroke (Peter Johnston, 2001/02)
    Senior Mens 100m Breaststroke (Peter Johnston, 2001/02)
    Open Mens 100m Breaststroke (Todd Jenkin, 2003/04)
    Open Mens 200m Breaststroke (Todd Jenkin, 2003/04)
    Brittany Johnson
    15yrs Girls 50m Freestyle (P. Walters, 1976/77)
    15yrs Girls 200m Freestyle (Samantha Anderson, 2003/04)
    15yrs Girls 400m Freestyle (D. Fielder, 1972/73)
    15yrs Girls 50m Backstroke (S. Lee, 1982/83)
    15yrs Girls 100m Backstroke (N. Fenton, 1973/74)
    15yrs Girls 50m Breaststroke (Natalie Green, 1998/99)
    15yrs Girls 100m Breaststroke (C. Ellen, 1972/73)
    15yrs Girls 50m Butterfly (P. Walters, 1982/83)
    15yrs Girls 100m Butterfly (L. Childs, 1980/81)
    15yrs Girls 200m Individual Medley (A. Exley, 1983/84)
    Open Womens 1500m Freestyle (Brittany Johnson, 2004/05)
    Mitchell Emery
    Open Mens 1500m Freestyle (Todd Jenkin, 2004/05)
    David Wang
    12yrs Boys 200m Individual Medley (D. Turner, 1978/79)


    2005/2006 saw the running of our annual swimming meet, the Merrylands SwimFest, at Merrylands for the fourth time. The weather was outstanding with the meet beginning in brilliant sunshine and running very smoothly. The meet again featured the use of AOE & SAT timing equipment and entries were the third highest in the last 8 years. Our club had 43 swimmers competing. Our members won 49 medals and our club also topped the club pointscore.

    Our club also hosted the Cumberland Sprint Meet at Merrylands Swimming Centre for the first time. Again held in brilliant sunshine, our members performed well both in and out of the water, winning a number of medals but also instrumental in the running of the meet.

    Finally, our Winter Competition was held for the third time and despite low numbers the competition was again very tight. Peter Johnston won the male competition and Glenda Wood the female competition.

    See Also
  • 2005/2006 Rankings

  • New Coach Appointed

  • 2005/2006 Presentation Evening

  • NSW State Age Distance Championships - Team

  • NSW State Age Distance Championships - Results

  • NSW State Age 9-12yrs Championships - Team

  • NSW State Age 9-12yrs Championships - Results

  • Cumberland Open & Age Championships - Team

  • Cumberland Open & Age Championships - Results

  • NSW Metropolitan Championships - Team

  • NSW Metropolitan Championships - Results

  • Cumberland Sprint Meet Results

  • Cumberland Development Squads

  • NSW Metropolitan Short Course Championships - Team

  • NSW Metropolitan Short Course Championships - Results

  • Cumberland Open & Age Short Course Championships - Team

  • Cumberland Open & Age Short Course Championships - Results

    • The Graded Point Score

    10 May 2006 Peter-Johnston Features
    The Graded Point Score is one of the most hotly contested competitions of the summer season. Other than the Senior Handicap, it is the only competition that is held every week, rewarding consistency and improvement throughout the season.

    Swimmers are graded in races based on their entry time and therefore swim with swimmers of similar ability. The concept behind this competition is for swimmers to swim against their time. The better they swim against their time, the greater number of points they receive.

    At the end of the season, the Michael Rossek Memorial Trophy is awarded to the junior male swimmer with the highest points and the Ronald Exley Memorial Trophy is awarded to the junior female swimmer with the highest points.

    The original Point Score Trophy was known as the Goldman Trophy. It was donated and named after Mr Samuel Goldman of Goldman’s Hardware Store which was situated in Merrylands. It was a large trophy with the winning boys and the winning girls names engraved on shields down each side. When this trophy was not able to hold any more shields, the club decided to purchase individual Boys and Girls Point Score Trophies (the Michael Rossek and Ronald Exley Memorial Trophies).

    The Boys Trophy was named after Michael Rossek who, while still a member of our club, was killed in a work related accident not long after leaving school. Michael was the middle son of Mr & Mrs Gerry Rossek. Gerry Rossek was responsible for making some of the equipment for our club which we still use on Saturday mornings.

    The Girls Trophy was named after Mr Ronald Exley who was a hard working member of our club. He held the position of Race Secretary for a few years and was Treasurer of the club from 1978 to 1982. It was in 1982 that Ron Exley had a heart attack and while having treatment at the time of the attack it was discovered that he was suffering inoperable cancer. He was married to Patricia and had four teenage children.

    Over the last 38 years many recipients have topped the point score in multiple years. Because the competition rewards consistency and improvement throughout the season, the fastest or best swimmers aren’t necessarily the ones that win the competition. Since the inception of the Champion of Champions trophy in 1995/96 (awarded to the best all round swimmer each season), only two swimmers have won both the Champion of Champions and the Graded Point score. The past winners of the trophies include a good mixture of swimming abilities including a number of swimmers that have gone on to swim at national level either while they were members of our club or after moving on to other clubs.

    Did you know?
    • Under the current point score, there is up to 24 points up for grabs each week. 480 points was the maximum score that could be achieved this season.


    • The average top score over the last 7 seasons has been 253 for the boys and 264 the girls. The highest scores achieved over that time were 309 points by Linda Liepins in the girls point score in 1998/99 and 294 by Adam Hammonds in the Boys point score in 1999/2000.


    • In the club’s history, there has only been three seasons where there has been a tie for first place in the point score. In 1973/74 the boys point score was won by N. Peacock and L. Kennedy. In 1988/89 the Michael Rossek Trophy was jointly awarded to David Johnston and Peter Johnston and the following year it was jointly awarded to Simon Johnston and Andrew Stephan. There has never been a tie in the girls point score.


    • Four families have won both the Michael Rossek and Ronald Exley Trophies; the Hayes, Stephan, Buckler, and Cause families. Of those four families, only one, the Buckler family, has taken home both trophies in the same season.


    • 15 different girls have won the Ronald Exley Trophy in the last 21 seasons. Amber Johnson and Linda Liepins have won it the most times with 3 each.


    • 17 different boys have won the Michael Rossek Trophy in the past 21 seasons. Tim Hayes, Peter Johnston, Andrew Stephan and Nathan Cause have won it the most times with 2 each.


    • 4 boys and 4 girls have won the trophies more than once; Tim Hayes, Peter Johnston, Andrew Stephan, Nathan Cause, Kristy Smith, Rachel Buckler, Linda Liepins and Amber Johnson.


    • 3 boys and 4 girls have won the Goldman Trophy more than once; N. Peacock, Darren Turner, Andrew Walters, G. Pedley, H. Koch, J. Pye and L. Glenn.


    • Tim Hayes is the only swimmer to have won both the Goldman Trophy and the Michael Rossek Trophy.


    • Because the trophies are only awarded to junior swimmers (under 17 years), the trophy recipients aren’t always the highest point scorers. Usually junior swimmers top the point score simply because they have more room for improvement. However, in 3 of the last 7 seasons, the highest point scorer in the male competition has actually been a senior swimmer. Glen Stanford was the highest in 2001/2002 while Peter Johnston finished on top in 1998/1999 and again in 2003/2004, on this occasion equal with the highest junior boy.


    • 2 swimmers have won both the summer and winter graded point scores; Amber Johnson and David Wang; however no swimmer has won both point scores in the same season.


    Past Winners
    The Goldman Trophy
    Boys Girls
    1968/69 P. Lovell J. Pye
    1969/70 G. Hawkins J. Pye
    1970/71 Greg Pye G. Pedley
    1971/72 E. Young S. Abbot
    1972/73 Kirk Fielder Amanda Smart
    1973/74 N. Peacock, L. Kennedy S. Mitchell
    1974/75 N. Peacock P. Durvey
    1975/76 Darren Turner L. Reynolds
    1976/77 A. Johnson L. Glenn
    1977/78 Darren Turner L. Glenn
    1978/79 M. Peacock K. Taylor
    1979/80 Andrew Walters Allison Exley
    1980/81 Andrew Walters G. Pedley
    1981/82 Jim Hayes Nicole Howton
    1982/83 C. Sinteur H. Koch
    1983/84 Tim Hayes H. Koch
    Michael Rossek
    Memorial Trophy    		 Ronald Exley
    Memorial Trophy
    1984/85 S. Joyce Tasha Sinclair
    1985/86 Tim Hayes A. Sillick
    1986/87 Steven Melville Michelle Hayes
    1987/88 Tim Hayes Amanda Stanley
    1988/89 David Johnston, Peter Johnston Vanessa Stephan
    1989/90 Simon Johnston, Andrew Stephan Marnie Campbell
    1990/91 Peter Johnston Lauren Holz
    1991/92 Andrew Stephan Melissa Stafford
    1992/93 Matthew Banks Kristy Smith
    1993/94 Paul Kirk Kristy Smith
    1994/95 Nathan B Rachel Buckler
    1995/96 Matthew Buckler Rachel Buckler
    1996/97 Blake Green Nicole Smith
    1997/98 Matthew Jenkin Linda Liepins
    1998/99 Mitchell Emery Linda Liepins
    1999/2000 Adam Hammonds Linda Liepins
    2000/01 Nathan Cause Samantha Anderson
    2001/02 Nathan Cause Amber Johnson
    2002/03 Jordan Burden Elise Cause
    2003/04 Jorden Almeida Amber Johnson
    2004/05 David Wang Amber Johnson


    Selected Swimmer Details

    Matthew Buckler - 1995/96
    Club Representative at Shell Age Series Finals
    Inaugural Champion of Champions recipient
    National Qualifier after leaving the club
    National Swimmer Profile
    Rachel Buckler - 1994/95, 1995/96
    2 time winner
    Jordan Burden - 2002/03
    Club Representative at Metropolitan & State
    National Qualifier and Medalist after leaving the club
    Club Representative
    National Swimmer Profile
    Mitchell Emery - 1998/99
    Club Representative at Metropolitan & State
    Club Representative
    Allison Exley - 1979/80
    Club Representative at State & Nationals
    Club Representative
    Kirk Fielder - 1972/73
    Cumberland Relay Champion & Former Cumberland Record Holder
    Club Representative
    Adam Hammonds - 1999/2000
    National Qualifier after leaving the club
    National Swimmer Profile
    Tim Hayes - 1983/84, 1985/86, 1987/88
    3 time winner
    5 time Club Captain (1989/90 - 1993/94)
    Nicole Howton - 1981/82
    Cumberland Relay Champion
    Club Representative
    Amber Johnson - 2001/02, 2003/04, 2004/05
    3 time winner
    Club Representative at Metropolitan & State
    Peter Johnston - 1988/89, 1990/91
    2 time winner (also highest point scorer in 1998/1999, 2003/2004)
    Club Representative at Metropolitan
    Linda Liepins - 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/2000
    3 time winner
    Andrew Stephan - 1989/90, 1991/92
    2 time winner
    Vanessa Stephan - 1988/89
    National Qualifier after leaving the club
    National Swimmer Profile
    Darren Turner - 1975/76, 1977/78
    2 time winner
    Club Representative at State
    Club Representative
    Andrew Walters - 1979/80, 1980/81
    2 time winner
    Club Representative at State & Nationals
    Club Representative
    David Wang - 2004/05
    Club Representative at Metropolitan & State
    Club Representative


    Thank you to Glad Pye for the information on the history of the Goldman, Rossek & Exley Trophies.

    See Also
  • Graded Races Point Score

    • Change to Breaststroke Rule SW 7.4

    03 December 2005 Peter-Johnston Features
    Changes made by FINA to Breaststroke Rules during September are expected to immediately improve breaststroke times and present a new challenge for those swimmers for which Breaststroke is their stroke of choice.

    The rule that has been changed by FINA is rule SW 7.4 which is reproduced below. Basically, competitors are now allowed to perform a single downward dolphin kick after the start and each turn.

    SW 7.4 During each complete cycle, some part of the swimmer's head shall break the surface of the water. After the start and after each turn, the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the legs. The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke. A single downward dolphin kick followed by a breaststroke kick is permitted while wholly submerged. Following which, all movements of the legs shall be simultaneous and in the same horizontal plane without alternating movement.
    (our emphasis)

    Below is the official interpretation of the rule:

    “That during, or at the end of the arm pull-down of the first stroke after the start and after each turn, a single downward butterfly kick is allowed, but not required, followed by a breaststroke kick. During the pull-down, if a downward butterfly kick is taken, it must be followed by a breaststroke kick. It is not permissible to take only a downward butterfly kick without then taking a normal breaststroke kick. The downward butterfly kick is not permissible prior to the arm pull-down.”

    That's all very well and good if you are a Referee, but as a swimmer it doesn't help much. Where does the downward dolphin kick actually fit into the start or turn?

    Below is a breakdown of each of the actions taken after a start or turn showing where and when you can perform the single downward dolphin kick.
    Step 1
    The first step is to streamline off the wall from the start or turn as usual.
    Step 2
    A powerful underwater pull is taken. It is during this pull where the downward dolphin kick can be taken.
    Alternatively the downward dolphin kick can be taken at the completion of the pull at the end of Step 3 below.
    Step 3
    The underwater pull is completed with the hands by the side of the thighs.
    If the downward dolphin kick was not taken during the pull in the previous step it can be taken here.
    Note: Only one downward dolphin kick is allowed.
    Step 4
    The hands and arms recover under the water, staying close to the body to minimise resistance.
    Step 5
    A breaststroke kick is taken as the arms extend forward past the head.
    Step 6
    The head then breaks the surface as the hands sweep out at the start of the next stroke.


    Leisel Jones performed a single downward dolphin kick after the start of the 100m Breaststroke Final at the 2005 Telstra FINA World Cup at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on November 22nd. You can watch a video of the start at the end of this article.

    So now you know how and when to perform the dolphin kick, it's time to hit the water and practice it.


      Leisel Jones - Breaststroke Start     To play:
          1. Click on the link below.
          2. Windows Media Player will open and start playing the video
            Breaststroke Pullout
        Windows Media Audio/Video File
        Length: 18 sec


    References
    FINA
    Swimming Australia
    ASCTA Swimming in Australia - September/October 2005

    See Also
  • Swimming Rule Changes

  • FINA Swimming Rules 2005 - 2009 - SW 7 Breaststroke

  • eSwimmer - Breaststroke Records Under Threat

    • 2004/2005 Season Review

    30 September 2005 Peter-Johnston Features
    2004/2005 was another historic season for Merrylands Amateur Swimming Club. Heated Water, changes to Learn to Swim, an increase in club members and the farewelling of our long time coach were just some of the events in a long but enjoyable season.

    With the heating of the Merrylands Swimming Centre in February 2004, the 2004/2005 season was the first full season of swimming in heated water. Combined with the warmer than usual October weather, club members returned in October and November in numbers not seen for years.

    And it wasn't only the club members that were coming out of the wood work. The attraction of the heated pool also saw a huge increase in interest in the Club's Learn-To-Swim-Free program. The interest was so great that, for the first time in recent memory, two time slots were required to cater for the swimmers, who had increased in number by over 300% from the previous season. Changes to the program also saw weekly attendance increase and positive and encouraging feedback from the children's parents.

    The 2004/2005 season also saw the running of the first Open 1500m Freestyle Championships for Men and Women. Held on a Friday night in February and contested by 11 swimmers, the Mens event was won by Todd Jenkin, the Womens by Brittany Johnson.

    Apart from the addition of the 1500m, the season's events remained largely unchanged from the previous year but that is where the similarities ended. Two long running winning streaks were broken with the reigning champions in both the Relay Competition and the Senior Handicap being defeated. Firstly in the Relay Competition, Team Johnston's dominance was finally broken after six years by the Merrylands Mermaids in a tightly fought competition. In the Senior Handicap, Peter Johnston's five year winning streak came to an end as Glen Stanford won in convincing style.

    Brittany Johnson was awarded the Champion of Champions Award for the second year in a row after winning both her Age and Open Championships, placing second in the Female Graded Pointscore, setting 9 club records and representing the club at the Cumberland and Metropolitan Championships. While at the other end of the scale, Dominique Bleeker was presented with the Jack Smart Encouragement Award after steadily improving over the season, progressing from 25m to 50m in different strokes.

    In the Graded Pointscore, David Wang, was awarded the Michael Rossek Trophy for the highest placed Junior Boy in the Graded Races Pointscore while Amber Johnson received the Ronald Exley Trophy for the highest placed Junior Girl.

    David Wang was also added to the wall of representative photos in the club room after a successful representative year. His achievements over the summer months included representing the club at Cumberland, Metropolitan & State Long Course Championships, 3rd place in the 100m Breaststroke at the Cumberland Long Course Championships and 2nd place in the 50m Breaststroke at the Speedo Sprint Series Finals. An unfortunate knee injury however prevented him from competing in any winter meets, which meant he was unable to add to these results.

    With some swimmers no longer competing, having left the club, injured or not qualifying, our representative teams were some of the smallest in recent years. However we still had swimmers competing at all levels up to and including State Open Championships.

    The 11yrs Boys Age Championship was the most hotly contested of the Club Championships with no fewer than 7 swimmers competing in the age group. A number not matched in over 15 years. 19 Championship records were broken over the season.

    Stephen McFarlane
    Mens 50m Breaststroke (Stephen McFarlane, 2001/02)
    Meaghan Legge
    Senior Womens 200m Freestyle (Nicole Smith, 1996/97)
    Senior Womens 50m Breaststroke (Kristy Smith, 1997/98)
    Todd Jenkin
    16yrs Boys 400m Freestyle (A. Johnson, B. Lynch, 1977/78)
    16yrs Boys 50m Breaststroke (Robert Griffey, 2000/01)
    16yrs Boys 100m Breaststroke (A. Johnson, 1977/78)
    Open Mens 1500m Freestyle New Event – No Previous Record
    Brittany Johnson
    14yrs Girls 50m Freestyle (P. Walters, 1981/82)
    14yrs Girls 100m Freestyle (P. Walters, 1981/82)
    14yrs Girls 200m Freestyle (Linda Liepins, 2002/03)
    14yrs Girls 50m Breaststroke (Natalie Green, 1997/98)
    14yrs Girls 100m Breaststroke (L. Matthews, 1972/73)
    14yrs Girls 50m Butterfly (A. Exley, 1982/83)
    14yrs Girls 100m Butterfly (A. Exley, 1982/83)
    14yrs Girls 200m Individual Medley (A. Exley, 1982/83)
    Open Womens 1500m Freestyle New Event – No Previous Record
    Steven Nguyen
    14yrs Boys 50m Butterfly (B. Turner, 1977/78)
    David Wang
    11yrs Boys 50m Freestyle (Mitchell McFarlane, 2001/02)
    11yrs Boys 100m Breaststroke (C. Sinteur, 1983/84)


    2004/2005 saw the running of our annual swimming meet, the Merrylands SwimFest, at Merrylands for the third time. The weather was good again and the meet ran very smoothly. The meet again featured the use of AOE & SAT timing equipment and entries were well up from the previous season - the second highest number of entries over the last 7 years. Our club had 48 swimmers competing - the highest number since 2001. Our members won 61 medals and our club also topped the club pointscore.

    The past season also saw our Winter Competition being held for the second time. The 1500m and Mystery Medley again proved popular and the competition was again very tight with Malcolm Bleeker taking out the male competition and Amber Johnson the female competition.

    Finally, the 2004/2005 season closed an eleven year chapter in the club's history with the resignation of Kristen Sunner as the club's coach at the end of June. Kristen had been the club's coach since being appointed at the start of the 1994 season.

    See Also
  • 2004/2005 Rankings

  • 2004/2005 Presentation Evening

  • Club Coach Resigns

    • Kristen Sunner - Head Coach, 1994-2005

    30 June 2005 Peter-Johnston Features
    Kristen Sunner ran the club's squad for almost 11 years from 1994 to 2005, coaching swimmers from club level right up to Australian Age level during that time.

    Kristen was appointed as the club coach at the start of the 1994 season. During her time as coach she saw numerous swimmers move through the club and squad and worked hard to keep the squad together when Merrylands Pool closed each year for the winter, running sessions at Granville, The Wran Centre, Parramatta and Wentworthville over the past years.

    Despite her best efforts, many swimmers, unable to cope with the cold water conditions at Merrylands, moved on to other clubs and better facilities. Three of those swimmers have since gone on to compete at the Australian Age Championships. Two of those swimmers in particular, which Kristen taught from a very young age, would not have gone onto this level without her initial instruction in the early stages of their swimming life.

    Notwithstanding the inferior training conditions and small pool of swimmers to draw from, Kristen still had a good amount of success with our swimmers, the highlight being her first Australian Age Qualifier and ultimately Australian Age Finalist in Melbourne in 2001.

    Add the National results to the club's results at Cumberland, Metropolitan and State Championships and the Speedo Sprint Series / Shell Age Group Series over the years Kristen was coach and it was a very successful period for the club.

    Of course the representative results are only the tip of the iceburg. The hundreds of PBs or medals acheived by every squad member at school carnivals and inter-club meets shows the true impact that Kristen and her assistant coaches had.

    Kristen stepped down at end of June, 2005 following the 2005 Metropolitan Short Course Championships.


    Kristen Sunner - The Merrylands Career in Numbers

    Speedo Sprint Series / Shell Age Group Series Finals

    5 swimmers from the squad have represented the club at the NSW Speedo Sprint Series / Shell Age Group Series Finals.

    Swims 16
    Medals 7
    Finalists 15

    Metropolitan Championships

    13 swimmers from the squad have represented the club at the NSW Metropolitan Short & Long Course Championships.

    Swims 141
    Medals 4
    Finalists 15

    State Championships

    8 swimmers from the squad have represented the club at the NSW State Short & Long Course Championships.

    Swims 116
    Medals 10
    Finalists 20

    National Championships

    1 swimmer from the squad has represented the club at the Australian Age Long Course Championships.

    Swims 12
    Medals 0
    Finalists 1


    The Sunner Years - The Highlights

    1994 Appointed Head Coach
    Original Squad Members include the Buckler, Johnston & Legge Families
    1996 First Metropolitan Qualifiers
    1999 First Shell Age Series Finalists
    4 finalists resulting in 3 medals
    1999 First State Age Short Course Championships
    2 medals from 3 finalists in 5 events
    2000 State Age Short Course Championships
    3 medals from 4 finalists in 8 events
    2001 Restricted Age Series (Formerly Shell Age) Finals
    2 medals from 3 finalists in 3 events
    2001 First Australian Age Qualifier
    First Australian Age Finalist
    2001 State Age Short Course Championships
    5 medals from 6 finalists in 11 events
    2002 Restricted Age Series (Formerly Shell Age) Finals
    1 medal from 4 finalists in 5 events
    2002 Australian Age Qualifier
    2002 Largest Metropolitan Short Course Team
    8 members competing in 18 events with 3 finalists
    2002 Largest State Age Short Course Team
    7 members competing in 22 events with 4 finalists
    First female qualifier
    2002 Largest Metropolitan Team
    8 members competing in 19 events with 1 finalist
    2003 Speedo Sprint Series (Formerly Shell Age) Finals
    2 finalists from 2 events
    2003 Australian Age Qualifier
    2004 Speedo Sprint Series Finals
    1 finalists from 1 events
    2004 Australian Age Qualifier
    2004 Equal Largest Metropolitan Short Course Team
    8 members competing in 15 events
    2005 Speedo Sprint Series Finals
    1 medalist from 1 finalist in 1 event.


    See Also
  • 1999 NSW Shell Age Group Series Finals & Grand Finals Results

  • 1999 NSW Metropolitan Short Course Championships Results

  • 1999 NSW State Age Short Course Championships Results

  • 2000 NSW State Age Short Course Championships Results

  • Merrylands at the Nationals

  • A Mixed Bag for Troy at the Nationals

  • 2001 NSW State Age Results

  • 2002 Restricted Age Series Finals

  • 2002 Australian Age Championships

  • 2002 NSW Metropolitan Short Course Championships

  • 2002 NSW State Age Short Course Championships

  • 2002 NSW Metropolitan Championships

  • 2003 Speedo Sprint Series Finals Results

  • 2004 Speedo Sprint Series Finals Results

  • 2004 NSW Metropolitan Short Course Championships

  • 2005 Speedo Sprint Series Finals Results