Grahamstown swimmer Erin Graham, 17, set a new Eastern Province record at the EP Aquatics (EPA) Short Course Championship Gala.
Grahamstown swimmer Erin Graham, 17, set a new Eastern Province record at the EP Aquatics (EPA) Short Course Championship Gala.
Last weekend's gala, the first of its kind to be hosted by EPA, was held at the DSG indoor swimming pool. Dozens of swimmers from across the Eastern Cape took part, representing various clubs in the province.
Local swimmers represented the Aquabear swimming club in Port Elizabeth, as there is no club in Grahamstown.
Graham set a new EPA record in the 50-metre backstroke event in a time of 30,64 seconds. In the 100m backstroke race the first, second and third podium places all went to Grahamstonians.
Tamlyn Price,18, won in 1:06.69, with Graham coming in second (1:08,87) and Jess Wright, 15, coming third in 1:19,31. Graham also won gold in the 50m freestyle and mixed 200m freestyle relay.
She finished second in the 100m backstroke, 100m individual medley and 50m butterfly events. She came third in the 100m freestyle.
Tamlyn took gold for the 100m and 200m individual medleys, 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 200m freestyle mixed relay.
She finished second in the 50m backstroke, 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly races, also winning bronze in the 50m butterfly.
Sarah-Jayne Klopstra, 14, won silver in the 200m individual medley relay, while Wright won bronze in the 100m backstroke.
Tilabo Williamson,13, won silver in the mixed freestyle 200m relay. Local boys also did the town proud. Tamlyn's brother, Calvin Price, 20, won gold in the 50m freestyle and silver in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.
He also came second in the 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke races. Brendan Gouws, 12, took bronze in the 50m breaststroke.
DSG swimming coach Sheena Price said Saturday's gala was also a trial for the EPA, as it plans to put in a bid for the South African Short Course Champs to be hosted in EP.
DSG's pool was the best venue to host the EP short course champs, Price said, because it's the only heated pool big enough (with eight lanes or more) in the province.
She said the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture helped EPA with the logistics of the competition.
See full results for Grahamstown swimmers in Grocott's Mail on Friday 19 July.
