ESP – Home of Piranhas scores well at Ekurhuleni Short Course Championships

ESP swimmers proudly competed in their newly branded kit at the second Ekurhuleni District Winter Short Course Championship. Thanks to Dylan Copeland, ESP now has a modern image and considers itself to be the “Home of Piranhas”…… Excellence, Swimming, and Passion. 27 clubs competed

All the winter training paid off and our ESP team claimed 4th place. Every swimmer swam to the best of their ability and now have times to be proud of.

This event was held over two full days. Training was essential, not only to compete, but also to prepare athletes bodies to handle the many strains placed on them, during any Championship event. All the events are swum in heats which precede the finals. Finalists were selected from the top 8 times.

Unfit swimmers struggled on the second day. Swimmers that swam all 10 events, finalled for many. (10 heats and 10 finals). It was a long day as swimmers needed to “warm up” and then “cool down” after every race.

10 events a day could easily add up the mileage, averaging 3km, on each day of competition. Swimmers would start the morning with a 1km warm-up, followed by 20 minutes of dynamic stretching and explosive jumps. Averaging an estimated total of 500m of racing, plus another 1.5 km for cool downs. (This encourages the “body chemistry” to recover as close to normal as possible – aiding the body to recuperate quicker enabling swimmers to continue racing hard).

ESP swimmers won 3 gold medals, 6 silver medals, and 9 bronze. The points were scored in the 74 final events that our swimmers qualified for. Only finalists in the top 8 scored points for the club.

Top Results on medal count:-

Kyle McKenzie – 10 Finals: 3 Gold, 6 Silver, 1 Bronze (10 medals). 179 points

Caitlin Heuer – 8 Finals: 2 Silver, 2 Bronze (4 medals). 122 points

Nicholas Smith – 8 Finals: 2 Bronze (2 medals). 106 points

Mikayla Pon – 6 Finals: 2 Bronze (2 medals). 88 points

Kent Field – 10 Finals: 1 Bronze (1 medal). 139 points

Ashley Corns – 1 bronze 2 Finals. 27 points

Savannah Sheerin – 8 Finals. 111 points

Murray Copeland – 6 Finals. 71 points

Jonathan Smith – 5 Finals. 61.5 points

Ashley Corns – 1 bronze 2 Finals. 27 points

Clayton Malaza – 2 Finals.26 points

Kyle North – 2 Finals. 26 points

Annebel Van Wyk – 2 Finals. 28 points

Brooklynn Bohler – 1 Final. 13 points

Jody Copeland – 1 Final. 13 points

Jayden Botha – 1 Final. 12 points

Bernelee Doster – 1 Final. 11 points

Picture: Finalists:

Front row.

Annebel Van Wyk. Mikayla Pon. Ashley Corns. Bernelee Doster.

Middle: Kent Field. Savannah Sheerin. “Mouse” Heuer. Kyle McKenzie

Back: Nicholas Smith. Clayton Malaza. Jonathan Smith.

Absent. Murray and Jody Copeland. Brooklyn Bohler. Jayden Botha.