By JARROD POTTER
CASEY TigerSharks surged to success in the Swimming Victoria Open Championships over the weekend as medals and fast times were proudly attained.
The best of the TigerSharks’ brood was Beaconsfield’s Holly Brettle, who returned to the top of the podium in her beloved 400m individual medley.
Brettle, 21, has brushed off all her prior injury concerns to claim the long-course title in 4.47.92 ahead of Meagan Ramsay and Helena Gasson.
The Beaconsfield battler also earned a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley and finished fifth in the 200m breaststroke final to round out a successful campaign at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre this week.
Josh Beaver, from Tooradin, was the other Casey TigerShark to sink his teeth into the racing – finishing second in the 200m backstroke – edged out by .2 of a second by Mitch Larkin – and two third place finishes in the 50m backstroke and 100m backstroke.
Matson Lawson, third place in the 400m freestyle, and Tyrone Dobrunz, fifth in the 100m breastroke and sixth in the 200m breaststroke, rounded out the Casey success.
Of the younger TigerSharks, Bowen Gough held his own in the open standard as he fifth in the 200m backstroke behind team mates Beaver and Lawson and earned eighth in the 200m butterfly.
Kyle Young – who finished seventh in the 1500m freestyle – and Natalie Gray – achieving 13th in 400m freestyle and 14th in 800m freestyle – gave good signs to come for the TigerSharks’ middle/long distance ambitions in the pool.
The TigerSharks have a couple of months to train up before the heading to Sydney in April for the biggest meet of the year, the Australian Swimming Championships at SOPAC.
