Junior Competition Team Update

It was a big and rewarding weekend for the Portsea Junior Competition Team, with strong representation across two major events. The weekend began with an impressive showing at the Portsea Swim Classic, followed by a solid team performance at the Mount Martha Junior Lifesaving Carnival on Sunday.

Competition Team members delivered excellent results in the Swim Classic, highlighted by Freddie Forsyth, who took out the boys’ 500 m race. Bobby Preston also performed strongly, finishing third, while Rose Buordolone secured second place in the girls’ 500 m event. These results set a positive tone heading into Sunday’s carnival.

At Mount Martha, Portsea fielded one of its largest junior teams in recent years, with 23 competitors taking part. Despite challenging conditions, including strong winds and an unexpected influx of Lion’s Mane jellyfish, the team rose to the occasion. Standout performances included Freddie Forsyth (U12) winning his swim heat and placing third in the Iron, Poppy Rowland (U9) winning her wade and board heats and finishing second in the sprint, Maddie Hains (U11) placing third in flags, and Tommy Klein (U11) also finishing third in flags. In the team events, the U10 girls won their relay heat, the U9 girls placed third in their sprint heat, and the U11 boys finished third in the Aqua Cameron.

The Junior Competition Team continues to build momentum this season, with growing participation and clear development across all age groups. This progress is underpinned by strong coaching led by Andrew Regan, supported by younger coaches Katie Kerr, Annabelle Mahon, Mackie Hunter, Logan Brandi and Paddy Benson, who have done an excellent job sharing their experience. A special thank you also goes to Nat Hood and Amanda Benson for their ongoing support, particularly in leading the early morning Pier to Point training swims.

The team now turns its focus to upcoming carnivals at Mordialloc and Ocean Grove, before heading to the State Championships in Warrnambool in March.