News Archive

UWA West Coast Swim Club swimmers claimed a variety of awards during Swimming WA’s night of nights, the Swimmer of the Year Awards.

Rhys Mainstone was named Open Water Swimmer of the Year, after finishing sixth (and fourth Australian) in the 2019 Australian Open Water Championships.

Age Group Swimmer of the Year went to Josh Edwards-Smith, who has continued to smash age records in a variety of events.

Josh also won the Bob Bestman Trophy, awarded for the most outstanding swim by a WA swimmer at the Australian Age Championships.

Josh’s coach and UWA Head Swimming Coach Michael Shaw was named Age Group Coach of the Year for the third year running.

Crystal Edwards, also coached by Michael Shaw, was awarded the Jack Howson Trophy, as the most consistent able-bodied swimmer aged 15-16 at the State Open and Age LC Championships.

Several UWA student athletes were also on the awards winners’ list.

Alex Milligan won the Hall of Fame Alumni Trophy Able for the most outstanding performance at the State Open and Age LC Championships.

Fellow student athlete Nic Brown was awarderd the Hancock Prospecting Perpetual Trophy, after an outstanding season that has seen him break in to the Australian Dolphins squad.

Another swimmer who shot to prominence over the season, Ashton Brinkworth, was named Swimmers’ Swimmer of the Year, in a category peer selected by fellow Swimming WA athletes.

The 2018 Swimmer of the Year, Brianna Throssell, was the recipient of the Swimming WA Life Members Trophy for a second time.

The top prize of the night, the WA Swimmer of the Year, saw nominations for Nic Brown and Brianna Throssell, but it was UWA Graduate Holly Barratt (Rockingham Swimming Club) who crowned with the title.

The Award, named the Lyn McClements medal after one of Western Australia’s greatest swimmers, recognises  Holly’s achievements at the World Short Course Championships, where she achieved Silver in the 50m Butterfly, Bronze in the 50m Backstroke, and Bronze in the 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay.

The 2018/19 swimming season was an outstanding success for many UWA swimmers, with many exciting prospects emerging as Tokyo 2020 quickly approaches.

Media references

Louis Humberstone

UWA Sport Marketing, Communication and Events

[email protected]

6488 4309