MANDURAH swimmer Sophie Vergone has returned from the Western Australian Sunsmart State Swimming Championship with nine medals including three gold.
Held during December, the event was the highest level swim meet of the year in WA with spots to the Australian National Age Championships in Adelaide in April up for grabs.
Sophie entered 11 events over the four-day competition which featured heat swims in the morning with the top eight in each age group progressing to the final in the evening.
Sophie made the final in each of her 11 events but elected to sit out of one due to the heavy workload.
In the others she claimed gold medals and state champion status in the 200-metre individual medley (IM), 400m IM and 200m breaststroke.
The 14-year-old won silver in the 200m, 100m and 50m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 100m breastroke as well as a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke.
She narrowly missed another bronze in the 100 butterfly finishing a close fourth.
Sophie also came second by one point in the overall female swimmer of the meet, won by Western Australian sensation Brianna Throssell.
Sophie is currently ranked in the Australian top 10 for her age in six separate events with the highest ranking being in her 200IM where she is ranked fourth.
The talented regional Kingsway Swimming Club member has now qualified to swim in 11 national events in April out of a possible 13 events available to her.
Sophie said her success came from hard work in and out of the pool as well as the expert coaching she receives within the high performance program.
She trains in a high performance program out of the Murray Leisure Centre with her coach of more than four years James Hornby.
Hornby said a winning formula was hard work and commitment from swimmer, parents and coach, a program that can support a swimmers high level goals, a coach with a proven track record and lots of patience as well as a child that had a great attitude and was determined to reach their goals.
Sophie is now back in full training preparing for the upcoming Australian Age National Championships.
Kingsway Swimming Club performance program currently has two positions open for swimmers that are looking to reach their full potential.
To apply call Hornby on 0428 432 950.
