Dolphin Strike Three!

Event: South West Region Championships (SC) 2011 Venue: Millfield Date: 3rd and 4th December 2011

Three Dolphin swimmers achieved national qualifying times last weekend at the South West Region Short Course Championships at Millfield.  Jon Audis,  Liam Herbert and Charlotte Pitts all booked their place at Sheffield in the first major meet of the season for Swindon’s top performing swimming club.

Audis got the ball rolling on the first morning of competition dipping under the national mark in the 100m backstroke with team-mate Herbert following suit a few heats later.  Both swimmers’ efforts also earned them places in the final,  with Audis holding onto his second ranked position to take silver and Herbert finishing fourth.  Not to be outdone,  Herbert notched up a further national qualifying time in the heats of the 200m backstroke later in the day and also won bronze in the final.

Top overall performer for Dolphin was Charlotte Pitts who swam a superb 400m freestyle within the national qualifying mark to take both senior and junior championship titles as well as setting a new club record.  Pitts’ record setting streak continued as she also set new club standards in the 200m and 800m freestyle,  winning junior silver in the 200m event as well as junior and senior silver in the 800.   A further junior championship title followed in the 400m individual medley.

Charlotte Pitts ~ 400m Freestyle South West Region Champion and National Qualifier

Other Dolphins climbing the podium over the weekend were Mathew Sambrook (junior silver,  1500m freestyle,  junior bronze,  200m freestyle and 200m backstroke) and Victoria Jennings (junior bronze,  200m butterfly).  Also making finals were Megan Jones,  Joe Kerslake,  Louise Maynard and James Clark.

Underlining their overall dominance at the event,  Plymouth Leander had multiple finalists in an incredible 24 of the 26 finals and on three occasions occupied seven of the eight lanes.  Dolphin were one of the few clubs to momentarily break this dominance with multiple finalists in four of the finals including four swimmers making the final eight in the 200m backstroke.

In the overall medal table,  Dolphin finished in an impressive third place behind runaway winners Plymouth and runners up,  Millfield.