Four Rocky City swimmers off to Olympic trials in June

The awesome foursome won the club’s first medals in club relays at a state championship.

TRAILBLAZERS: Rocky City’s 9-10 years boys team Ashton Rodgers, Kurt Lynch, Ty Lynch and Seton Brock won the club’s first ever club relay medals at the state championships in Brisbane.

ASHTON Rodgers, Seton Brock and cousins Kurt and Ty Lynch have written their names into Rocky City’s history books.

The awesome foursome won the club’s first medals in club relays at a state championship.

They claimed bronze in both the freestyle and the medley relays in the 9-10 years boys’ division.

Their performance laid the platform for impressive individual efforts at the six-day championships at Brisbane Aquatic Centre.

Six Rocky City swimmers stood on the podium and between them brought home 11 gold, four silver and six bronze medals.

Coach Shane Kingston said the relay medals helped set the tone for the meet.

“The boys did a great job, and that was a club first so that’s pretty cool,” Kingston said.

“They had to fight to hold off fourth and fifth in both races so it was good to see them show that fighting spirit.

“They were pretty pumped and that will be a really good motivator for them to get back into training and go down to the sprint championships in February and have a go.”

Taryn Roberts led the way on the individual front, medalling in 10 of her 12 events in the 13 years girls.

Superfish Taryn Roberts finished with 10 medals, six of them gold, in another dominant performance.

She won six gold, two silver and two bronze and was crowned age champion.

Ty Hartwell (18 years boys) won two gold and two bronze.

Lachlan Kuss won two gold and a silver in the 12 years boys in his first state championships.

Fellow first-timers Taylor Brock and Marlee Chopping won a bronze medal apiece in the 12 years girls.

Lily Ahmat also had a memorable meet, winning a gold and a silver in the 17 years girls and qualifying for the Olympic trials in June.

Lily Ahmat won a gold and a silver medal in Brisbane.

Kingston said there were outstanding performances.

“Taryn’s consistency over the week in a lot of events was great to watch,” he said.

“Lachlan was outstanding as well. His 200m fly was very high class for a 12-year-old boy.

“Ty’s performances were very pleasing as well, and in his 100m backstroke he stepped up again.”

Emily Ferreira and Miranda Chopping also clocked national age qualifying times.

Roberts has had a year to remember but the modest champion does not have a lot to say about her performances, preferring instead to let her actions do the talking.

On her latest medal haul, she said: “It was OK. I went there hoping to get some medals and some good times.

“I liked all of my events but the 200m individual medley was a fun race.”

Roberts had a week off over Christmas but returns to training today to prepare for her next event, state schools in March.

She will then head to Perth in April for age nationals, where she will swim a similar program to the one she had at the state championship.

Two months later, she and clubmates Ahmat, Hartwell and Richardson will mix it with the country’s best at the Olympic trials in Adelaide.

Roberts has qualified for six events: the 100m and 200m breaststroke, 200m, 800m and 1500m freestyle and the 400m IM, and Ahmat will swim in the 100m and 200m breaststroke.

Hartwell will race in the 100m and 200m backstroke, and Richardson in the 200m and 400m individual medleys.

Kingston has a goal of taking six swimmers to the Olympic trials.

He said it was exciting to have four already there, with several others close to qualifying.