By BRAD PERRY

LOCAL swimmers will get the opportunity to test themselves against some of the state’s best when the South Australian Country Swimming Championships roll into Loxton tomorrow.

In its 51st year, almost 400 budding young and senior swimmers will compete for medals at the four day event and local hopes are high.

Loxton Swimming Club representative Dean Peberdy said it is an opportunity for Riverland swimmers to compete at a higher level.

He added that the next Sophie Edington or Hayden Stoeckel could be amongst this year’s competitors.

“It is a good stepping stone for them,” he said.

“It gives you a good measure of where you are at in the state.”

More than 20 clubs across the state will come to Loxton, pumping significant tourism dollars into the local economy.

“You are talking nearly 400 competitors and 600 or 700 families,” he said.

“Loxton was booked out days after it was announced the event would be held here.”

It is the third time Loxton has held the event this decade, with Renmark also hosting the championships in 2006.

Mr Peberdy is hopeful a number of Loxton swimmers will leave the championships with trophies, rating youngster Bronte Phillips as a good chance for a medal.

“We’ve got a few of the younger ones who we expect to do all right,” he said.

“A dozen of our kids are expected to get medals.”

With clubs such as Murray Bridge, Gawler, Mount Gambier, Port Pirie, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Onkaparinga, Bordertown and Broken Hill all involved, Mr Perbedy said the competition is strong.

While a lot of work has been put into organising the event, which is run by Swimming SA, Mr Peberdy said it is all worthwhile.

“It’s been a lot of hard work to set it up...but we are happy and confident we’ve got everything in place,” he said.

Renmark Swimming Club head coach Leanne Van der Hoek said the team will be fielding its largest number of competitors in the championships to date.

With 24 swimmers, up on 15 from last year, Mrs Van der Hoek is confident the team will do

well.

“We are pretty positive about the whole event,” she said.

For Renmark, consistently top placed swimmer Simon Callahan will be hoping to maintain his shields from last year’s country championships, while Alex Freeman is one to look out for.

Meanwhile, the Berri Swimming Club will enter 33 swimmers in the championships, including top hopes breaststroke star Emily Millar and freestyle swimmer Brock

Verrall.

President Mic Kassebaum said there are also 10 Berri juniors competing in the Superfish Carnival, for swimmers aged 13 years and under who did not achieve Country Championship standard times, with Emily Kassebaum one swimmer to watch after recently breaking a club butterfuly record.

The Waikerie Swimming Club is also expected to put up a strong team for the championships.