Dolphin flying high at Wilts Masters

Event: Wiltshire Masters Round 1 Venue: Trowbridge Date: 22nd February 2014

The first round of the 2014 Wiltshire Masters competition took place recently at Trowbridge with 18 swimmers from Swindon Dolphin competing.  Dolphin had to be content with finishing the meet in fourth place although there were some tremendous individual performances including new county masters records in the 100m butterfly for Helen Hanks and Charlotte Gardo.

Dolphin Masters

Having only recently turned 18, Gardo was competing in her first ever masters competition along with Victoria Jennings.  Between them, both girls won age group gold in all four of the evening’s individual events; Gardo in the 100m butterfly and 25m breaststroke with Jennings winning the 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle.  A further individual silver medal for each completed a good evening’s work.  Hanks’ new butterfly record and gold medal was also backed up with silver in all three of the evening’s other events.

Also competing for the first time at masters level were Matthew Watson and Jason Tait.  The 100m butterfly again turned out to be lucrative for Dolphin as Watson earned himself gold in the event as well as bronze in the 100m freestyle.  Tait chose the meet as his first attempt at the daunting 100m butterfly which he skilfully completed and earned a silver medal for his efforts.  A further silver in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 25m breaststroke completed a fruitful evening for the 39 year old.  Dolphin’s other individual gold medallist was Jan Petr who also won silver in the 25m breaststroke and signifies his welcome return to training and competing.

New masters ~ Matthew Watson, Charlotte Gardo, Victoria Jennings, Jason Tait

Dolphin’s other individual medallists were Ben Clark (2 silver, 2 bronze), Andy Garrett (silver), Ciara Montague (2 bronze), Adrian Jefferies (bronze).  In the relay events Dolphin were rarely out of the medal positions winning gold in the 4 x 25m womens’ medley, silver in the 4 x 50m mixed freestyle and 4 x 50m mixed medley and bronze in the 4 x 25m mens’ freestyle.

Round 1 points

1 Salisbury Stingrays 137 2 Bradford on Avon 74 3 Corsham 61 4 Swindon Dolphin 60 5 Warminster & District 43 6 Swindon Area Masters 29 7 Marlborough Penguins 16 8 Wootton Bassett Otters 8 9 Melksham Swordfish 6 9 Calne Alpha Four 6 9 Trowbridge 6

Round 2 takes place on 31st May at the Link Centre, Swindon.