Hazelwood Open Water 2011

With the typical 'mixed bag' that springtime in Victoria can deliver, the 2011 running of the Hazelwood Open Water Championships was accompanied by sun, wind and occasional rain. Saturday was mostly fine and overcast with a slight chop at the far end of the course.  Water temperatures averaged 25c and some excellent results were achieved.

The 5km State Championships was run from 10am with the 1km and 3km held later in the day from 1pm.  5km swimmers had full run of the rectangular 1.2km course which overall winner Codey Grimsey of Surrey Park SC completed in 59.25 minutes.  Hannah Tuohey, Surrey Park, was 3rd over all and the first female to finish in 1:00.48.  Surrey Park SC had the strongest representation at the event with approximately 40 swimmers entered across the 4 event program.

State Championship Category winners were:  Female 13 yrs: Phoebe Dammersmith Surrey Park, 14 yrs: Karlene Pircher North West Aquatic SC, 15yrs: Holly Dever Haileybury Waterlions, 16yrs: Bethany Robertson Surrey Park, 17/O: Stephanie Demestichas Tigersharks SC, Open: Hannah Tuohey Surrey Park. Males 13yrs: Ryan Gowty MVC, 14yrs: Thomas Wood Surrey Park, 15yrs: Sebastian Cumins Surrey Park, 16yrs: Sam Warrick Surrey Park, 17/O Daniel Ringer Lilydale, Open: Codie Grimsey Surrey Park.  5km results full

90 swimmers competed in the 3km event with 15 year old Lucy Simpson from Surrey Park clocking the fastest overall time of 42.25 followed by Philip Blunt of Traralgon with 45.01. Top swimmers were:  Females: 10-12 Kerrie Sharples MVC, 13-15 Lucy Smithson Surrey Park, 16-19 Sarah Corbett Tigersharks, 20-29 Kathy Russell, 30-39 Sonia Halsvik Casey Seals MSC, 40-49 Bizzy Butterworth Peninsula Pirates, Males: 10-12 Connor Xu Surrey Park, 13-15 Sam Russo Mornington Peninsula Flyers, (Sam Roberts Traralgon 4th)  16-19 Philip Blunt Traralgon, 20-29 Michael Skrodzki EC Waves, 30-39 George Skoufis, 40-49 Luis Lopez-Edwards Powerpoints, 50-59 Dana Galbraith Mornington Peninsula Pirates, (Brian Ford Traralgon 2nd, Mark Allen Traralgon 3rd) 60-69 Rick Owen Peninsula Pirates.  3km results full

130 swimmers dashed through the 1km loop with the fastest time clocked by 15 year old Matthew Gilling of Lilydale with a time of 13.41.  14 year old Billee Bickers from the Mornington Peninsula Flyers took line honours for the females with a time of 14.57.  Age Champions:  Females 10-12 Natalie Grey Casey Tigersharks (Jasmine Doultree Traralgon 2nd), 13-15 Billee Bickers Mornington Peninsula Flyers (Taylah DaRos Traralgon 12th, Sophie Fitzpatrick Traralgon 19th, Erin Roberts Traralgon 22nd, Georgia Tsebelis Traralgon 23rd, Maggie O'Keefe Traralgon 24th) 16-19 Stephanie Burrill Surrey Park, 20-29 Shelley Miles Casey Seals, 30-39 Natalie Cross (WS), 40-49 Lisa Fitzgerald Peninsula Pirates, 60-69 Janette Gooey Casey Seals Masters, Males 10-12 Jake Duggan Casey Tigersharks, (Alexander Tsebelis Traralgon 5th, Chance Doultree Traralgon 18th) 13-15 Matthew Gilling Lilydale (Ian Melrose Traralgon 4th, Sam May Traralgon 17th, Ashley Withell Traralgon 18th) 16-19 Cameron Crabb Surrey Park, 20-29 Michael Rovetto Melton (Andrew Legge Traralgon 2nd), 30-39 Ben Geard Traralgon, 40-49 Anthony Patterson, 50-59 Murray Helmer Powerpoints, 60-69 Con Duyveston.  1km results full

On Sunday the 10km race began at 9:15am.  A field on 18 swimmers started in blustery but fine conditions and for the next 90 minutes organisers and officials watched threatening weather skirt around the pondage.  Approximately 7km into the race the heavens opened with torrential rain and strong winds which lasted for several minutes.  A phenomenon unique to the warm pondage occurred when the steam from the far end of the pond blew across the course shrouding the water in mist which gave rise to the original Hazelwood Open Water title: the Sauna Swim.  It was a sauna indeed, and race officials decided to abandon the race for the sake of swimmer safety.  In 21 years of competition at Hazelwood this was the first abandonment, but fortunately, as the race was more than half completed, a result was determined based on course placings at the finish.  Sam Sheppard of Surrey Park was declared the over-all winner from Cody Grimsey, also of Surrey Park. 5km female champion, Hannah Tuohey of Surrey Park took out the female honours. 10km results

Thank you to all for participation in the 21st running of the Hazelwood Open Water Championships.  In 2012 we anticipate the introduction of a 2.5km event replacing the 3km swim.  This will be as a result of 2.5km being added to the Swimming Australia JX distances table.

See you then!