Tuesday Column with Gerard Walsh

THE Warwick Swimming Club is second overall behind Gatton in the Darling Downs Country Swimming Championships after the first day of competition at Stanthorpe on Saturday.

The longer distance events will be held in Toowoomba in March.

Thirty-nine Warwick swimmers headed to Stanthorpe for the carnival.

The Allora, Killarney and Inglewood clubs all competed with Inglewood winning one of the relays in the younger age groups.

Warwick swimmers Seamus Ryan (16 years), Caitlin Skaines (15 years), Will Gilmore (14 years), Liam Vickers (12 years), Emma Day (11 years) and Will Day (9 years) all won age championships at the carnival.

Stanthorpe Swimming Club hosted the carnival in the 50m town pool and the host club secured four age championships - Ben Armbruster (15 years), Aleisha Rogers (12 years), William Kay (10 years) and Jessica Pradella (8 years).

After missing club night on Friday due to the country championships the next day, the Warwick Swimming Club will return to its club nights this week.

For the only time in the season, club night will be on a Thursday rather than Friday due to the Australia Day public holiday.

The swim club doesn't use every lane on club nights and anyone doing a few laps on the northern edge of the pool will see how well club nights are run.

There are carnivals to go this season at Miles, Stanthorpe, Quilpie, Millmerran, Wandoan, Charleville and Pittsworth, and Warwick is set to be represented at some of the carnivals.

The Queensland Sprints are on February 17-18 in Brisbane and swimmers from the region need a qualifying time to compete.

Life membership

WELL done to Stanthorpe Swimming Club coach Gail Smail on being awarded life membership of the Queensland Swimming Association at the weekend.

She competed for Queensland for eight years and trialled for the 1982 Commonwealth Games in butterfly.

Few people have done as much for swimming on the Darling Downs as Gail who has been involved with the Stanthorpe pool for 18 years and in the Stanthorpe club for 30 years.

She often heads to WIRAC in winter with Stanthorpe swimmers to keep their training going for the next summer season.