It was a brilliant week for Essendon Aquatic Swimming Club at the 2015 Australian age national championships in Sydney last month.
On the back of outstanding performances from West Sunshine’s Lushavel Stickland and Maribyrnong’s Emily Jones, Aquatic finished among the top 30 swimming clubs of Australia.
Seventeen-year-old Stickland finished in the top 25 in all six of her events, with her best performance coming in the 100 metres backstroke, in which she finished 12th.
Competing in her first national championships, 15-year-old Jones swam a personal best in the 100 metres backstroke on her way to a 30th-place finish.
Essendon Aquatic coach Chris Briffa was full of praise for both athletes.
“It is a credit to both these girls, who have immense character and talent, to put in all the hard work to get to where they are,” he said.
“At this level, they’re doing seven sessions a week, which includes pool, dry land and strength and conditioning sessions.
“Their hard work will pay off even further as they are looking for a big 2015-16 season.”
The results continue what has been an excellent period for Essendon Aquatic with the club finishing 13th in Victoria at the state championships earlier this year.
