Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club junior competitors produced outstanding performances at the second annual Queenscliff180 Family Swim on Sunday 20 January.
Local Grove Nipper Alex Williams won the 10-12 age group in the 600m Junior Swim and finished second overall in a time of 6 minutes and 43 seconds.
The 600m Junior Swim was won by Cooper Edwards (06:08), who took out the 13-15 age group.
Alex who recently joined the Ocean Grove SLSC this season, is a keen swimmer after he competed in the prized Pier to Pub in Lorne this month.
He notched up a top place finish and placing at a recent bay swim in Williamstown.
Caden Walsh, a fellow OGSLSC Nipper, stormed home and was the second male to cross finish line in the 10-12 age group in 07:21 and came ninth overall.
The Queenscliff180 Family Swim was Caden’s first attempt at a stand-alone ocean swim.
He said the course held at the Queenscliff Pier was enjoyable with an eye to return next summer.
“I will probably do the Pier to Pub (in future years) and I will be probably doing this again in Queenscliff,” said Caden, a former Ocean Grove Primary School student.
Last year’s inaugural Queenscliff180 Family Swim 600m Junior 10-12 age group female winner, Kate O’Brien, an OGSLSC Nipper, finished 10th in her age group and came 20th overall.
Oliver Williams, brother of Alex, finished in fourth place in the male 10-12 age group in 09:14.
Queenscliff180 Family Swim Director Liam Petrie-Albutt said the 600m Junior Swim was a main feature of the day.
“We had a lot of kids in the swim and that was probably my favourite part of the day,” Petrie-Albutt said.
Up to 450 competitors took part across both Queenscliff180 Family Swim 600m Junior 1km Swim events, which is formerly known as the Queenscliff Blue Water Challenge.
THE 1km Swim saw Jackson Lazzar win in an impressive time of 08:30, while Kelly Stubbins (09:05) won the female 1km event.
Ocean Grove SLSC surf patrol lifesaver Hayden Burch (09:48) came third in the 18-29 category.
Other notable Ocean Grove based competitors included Mark Stone who came second overall in the 50-59 age group in 09:24 and came ninth overall, while Ocean Grove SLSC junior James Leahy came fifth in the 12-17 age group in the 1km Swim.
