Swim team makes a splash with 14 first places at carnival

The Sydney Hills Special Olympics team secured 14 first place ribbons at the Special Olympics Regional Aquatics Carnival.

Thumbs up from Tom Thorby, who won the 25m backstroke for his age group at the Special Olympics Regional Swimming Carnival at Oakhill College, Castle Hill, on March 19. Pictures: Supplied

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The Sydney Hills Special Olympics team secured 14 first place ribbons at the Special Olympics Regional Aquatics Carnival held on Sunday, March 19, at Oakhill College in Castle Hill.

Nick Brown, 12, finished with three first places, a second and a third out of five events, while 22-year-old Corey Atkinson took out two firsts and three seconds.

Kayla van Zeeland is all smiles after winning her freestyle race.

Katya Dorey, Zuhair Ghaffar, Lauren Heggie, Rebecca Korzeniowski, Tyson Lindsay, Sarah Nethery, Thomas Thorby, Kayla Van Zeeland and Nick Zrnic also each came home with a first place.

More than 100 competitors from 10 Special Olympics clubs came to the meet, making it the biggest one held at Oakhill in the past eight years.

Nick Zrnic competing at the Special Olympics Regional Aquatics Carnival.

The Sydney Hills club fielded 18 swimmers, the second-biggest contingent after Hunter Valley, and finished third overall with 14 first place ribbons and 15 seconds.

Competitors ranged in age from eight to 55, with many young swimmers hoping to qualify for the 2017 Junior National Games to be held on the Gold Coast in July.

Sarah Nethery won the 50m backstroke race for her age group.

Tyson Lindsay and Nicholas Brown from the Hills were two of the young participants who qualified for the Games.

Organiser Russell Becker thanked the more than 30 Oakhill College year 11 students who assisted on the day as marshalls and timekeepers.

“Without them, we might have finished at midnight,” Mr Becker said.