With athletes competing 50m events only, the action proved fast paced and, with many of Victoria's current swimming stars having performed well at these championships, the weekend proved a wonderful opportunity for NTB/SH swimmers to test themselves against the very best swimmers in the state.

"With heats on the first day and finals held on the next, the goal on the Saturday is to be among the top 10 fastest swimmers to make it the final on the second day," head coach Shirley Swan said.

"And with the competition so fierce, this is no easy feat."

Reminding club onlookers of their extraordinary talents, Tricia Sambrooks 18 and Angus Verbeek 12 qualified for the Sunday finals in three and two events respectively.

While a podium finish eventually escaped them both, Sambrooks swam exceptionally to finish eighth in two events and sixth in another in performances which included personal bests in both the freestyle and breaststroke events, while Verbeek was brilliant in the breaststroke in recording an incredible two second personal best which placed him sixth in the state in the most frantic of finishes.

Verbeek also finished seventh in the backstroke, and proved the hard training of recent months worthwhile by recording personal best times in all four of his events.

Swan said she was delighted with the performances of her charges.

For more on this story see Wednesday's edition of The Guardian (February 15, 2012).