Tarryn leads swimmers to record day

pion’s Kirsty Coventry’s age group records are still to be broken.
Surprise packet of the meeting was Tarryn Rennie, who turned 12 last month and who squared up to the formidable challenge of ‘Super Sam’ Welch in the 11-12 age group. Tarryn, from Hellenic School and Spartans Swim Club, started quietly with a third place (45.09sec) in the 50 metres breaststroke behind Samantha Welch (41.54sec) and Mikayla Quinlan (45.01). Then she amazed the swimming fraternity by winning her next three races – eclipsing Samantha into second on each occasion and breaking all three Zimbabwe records in the process.
These were the 50 metres butterfly (34.80sec), 50 metres freestyle (31.22sec) and 50 metres backstroke (37.20), events where Sam clocked 34.82 (a whisker!), 32.29 and 38.51. In their final clash, Samantha reasserted her all-round talents by taking the 100 metres individual medley in 1min 20.61sec from Tarryn’s second-placed 1min 24.33sec.
Tarryn’s butterfly smashed T. Jansen’s national record of 37.11sec, set in 2003, and even surpassed Sam Richter’s 2002 record for the 13-year-old group. Her prospects were also underlined by her freestyle time that cut more than two seconds off Maxine Heard’s 2003 national record and surpassed Syanne Graham’s Mashonaland record in the 13-year-old group.
The duels between Rennie and Welch at the forthcoming nationals are something to look forward to!
Top Zimbabwe sprinter Moira Fraser (16) dominated the 15 and over age group and broke three national records – the 50 metres backstroke (33.29sec to just edge Sherilyn de Klerk’s 2006 mark of 33.48), the 50 metres freestyle (28.16sec also topping De Klerk’s 29.08) and the 50 metres butterfly (30.80sec) to beat Dana James’s 32.68sec.
Tara Wallace (13) of Spartans also broke two national records as she set out to achieve qualifying times for South Africa’s premier Prestige gala in East London in March. These were in the 13-year-olds 50 metres freestyle (30.28sec) and the 50 metres backstroke (36.52sec). Even better things can be expected of her in the national championships as she is in very dedicated training, three times a week, putting in strenuous 5.30am sessions with Moira Fraser, Maxine Heard, Syanne Graham and Jessie Byrom before school.
Nic James (17) of Pirates and St George’s College broke two of his own national records in the 50 metres butterfly (28.06sec) and 50 metres backstroke (29.30sec) while other national record breakers on the day were Syanne Graham, James Lawson and Matthew Lawson. Stephen Palmer clocked 27.32sec in the 50 metres freestyle to break the Mashonaland record in the 16-year-olds group.
Eight Zimbabwe swimmers have so far attained the qualifying times for the Prestige Level Three Gala in East London, South Africa from 13-17 March, the only international event that is still open to the local swimmers.
Peter Dalzell, the Zimbabwe Aquatic Union president, said the swimming body had settled for US-based Kirsty Coventry and Heather Brands, and South Africa-based Kim Eeson to represent the country at the World Championships set for Melbourne, Australia from 17 March -1 April. – CAJ News