SCONE’S Max Patterson is making waves in the swimming pool after a personal best performance last week saw him qualify to compete at a state level.
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The 11-year-old Scone Grammar School student needed to swim his main event – the 100 metre breaststroke – in under 1.35.00 at the qualifier in Mudgee last Sunday to progress to state.
Patterson powered through, swimming a personal record of 1.33.00 – a performance that qualifies him for the NSW State Age Swimming Championship on December 13.
The two-day event is held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) and is the most illustrious meet on the calendar for young swimmers.
The qualifying times are tough but Max’s father Angus Patterson said he is certainly up for the challenge.
“Max attends qualifying swimming carnivals in the North West and New England areas aiming to improve his times,” he said.
“He trains at Scone during the summer however doesn’t train in the winter making it harder to be competition fit when the summer swimming season starts.
“State Age is held in early December so he has only had two months to prepare.”
Mr Patterson said Max is very excited about competing at SOPAC and representing the Scone Swimming Club.
“Yvette Taylor is the coach at the pool and is doing such a good job with all the children,” he said.
Max, who has just finished Year 5, has taken four seconds off his 100 metre breaststroke time since Yvette started coaching this season.
“Yvette trains, assesses and makes the necessary changes to strokes,” Max’s father said.
“She changed part of his stroke approximately four weeks ago and this has improved his breaststroke times.”
Patterson is also set to make a splash at the NSW Country Championships, qualifying for a handful of events in February 2018.
- The NSW State Age Swimming Championship is held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Sydney Olympic Park on December 12 and 13.