MAKING A SPLASH: Orange Christian School students (back left) Rikky Bangert, Tiana James, Emily Nobbs, Harry Handebo, (front, left) Josh Williams, Jacob Pulling, Caitlyn Nobbs and Cooper Turner are off to the CSSA state swimming carnival on Monday. Photo: NICK McGRATH 0306nmschool
THE Orange Christian School is making a splash in the pool with nine students earning a place in the Far West Zone side to compete at the Christian Schools Sports Association state swimming carnival on Monday.
Competing in almost every discipline available at the Far West Zone carnival, Emily Nobbs and sister Caitlyn led the way with nine first place ribbons between them.
Emily won gold in the 12-13 years girls’ 100 metres freestyle open multi class, the 200m individual medley as well as 50m backstroke, freestyle, butterfly and breaststroke events.
Caitlyn, competing in the 9-10 years girls, won gold in 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke.
She also took home three second place finishes.
Not to be outdone, Tiana James also earned Far West Zone selection thanks to three second place finishes while Jacob Pulling led the school’s boys charge with two firsts and a runner-up ribbon.
In the 50m backstroke event, Pulling won and Cooper Turner came in second to also earn representative selection.
Harry Handebo, Rikky Bangert and Josh Williams will be part of the school’s 4x50m relay team with Pulling in Blacktown while Dylan McHatton and Bangert have individual races to swim as well.
Orange Christian School sports coordinator Dominique Hutchinson was thrilled the school had done so well in the pool.
She expected the competition to be tough in Blacktown but predicted the school’s swimmers will rise to the challenge.
“Some will go quite well while some, it’s there first time. It was unexpected to get so many through.”
Two OCS students have also qualified for next week’s secondary school state swimming carnival.
