Club makes huge splash

Wests' team of 58 competitors aged eight to 23 won 49 gold medals, 40 silver and 40 bronze, and set a host of personal best times.

The championships featured 365 competitors from 21 clubs including regional clubs from Corrimal in Illawarra's north to Eden in the south and west to Cooma.

Visiting German swimming club VFL Sindelfingen ensured an international flavour at the annual carnival.

Wests were the outstanding club claiming the 2015 SESA Area Premiership Club for a fourth straight year, plus the 2015 Area Relay Champions. Ten Wests swimmers set individual records at the carnival.

Dannika Creati set five records in the Girls' 10-Years division after record breaking wins in the 50-metres freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 50m backstroke and 100m backstroke.

Dane Corolla (Boys' 10-Years) set a new mark in the 50m backstroke, while the other record breakers were Bailey Crehan (Boys' 10-Years) in the 100m backstroke, Bailey Krstevski (Boys' 10 Years) 100m butterfly; Mitchell Langford (Boys' 12-Years) 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle, plus the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke in the 12-and-under age group.

Griffin Spicknall (Boys' 13 Years) set a new mark in the 100m breaststroke; Brendan Eastman (Boys' 14-Years and under) broke the 400m individual medley record; Kelsey Cresswell (Girls' 15-Years and over) set a 200m backstroke record; Matthew Hearne (men's open multi-class) set a 200m individual medley and 100m butterfly record and Aaron Cannon claimed a record for the men's open multi-class 100m freestyle, plus 200m backstroke and 50m backstroke. Top Wests swimmers Riley Powell (Boys' 9-Years), Bailey Crehan (Boys' 10-Years), Dannika Creati (Girls' 10-Years), Mitchell Langford (Boys' 12-Years), Brendan Eastman (Boys' 13-Years) were named Age Champions at the carnival.

Eastman was Male Champion Swimmer, winning six gold, three silver and four bronze medals. He set a championship record in the Boys' 14-Years-and-under 400m individual medley. Mitchell Langford was another outstanding performer with eight individual golds, six of them breaking the championship record. In the girls, Dannika Creati won six individual gold medals and set five championship records.

The team entered 11 relay teams and took gold in seven of the eight events, breaking the championship records in the Girls' and Boys' 11-Years and under 200m freestyle, Boys' 11-Years and under 200m medley, Boys' and Girls' 12-years-and-over medley, and Boys' 12-Years-and-over 400m freestyle relays.

A major contributor to the team's success was camaraderie and team spirit, spurred on by coaches James Greathead, Anthony Jurak and Nicola Sleight, who challenged all kids to try their best.

"We are really proud of the team, their efforts and congratulate them on their success," Mr Jurak said.

Mr Greathead added: "It's ... an opportunity for all of our athletes to come together to compete as a team, show the depth, strength, versatility and 'all for one, one for all' mentality needed for the club to be successful."

The team is preparing for the NSW Country Championships, on February 21-22 at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.