Dolphin top awards at County BAGCATs

Event:  Wiltshire County Age Group (BAGCAT) Championships Venue:  Link Centre, Swindon Date: 9th, 22nd & 23rd March 2014

Following another successful county championships by Dolphin’s youth swimmers, their younger counterparts re-enforced the club’s dominance at the competition by topping the medals tables for both individual and overall age group awards.  Across the 9 to 14 years age groups, Dolphin swimmers won 44 individual gold, 29 silver and 23 bronze as well as four gold, one silver and three bronze in the overall BAGCAT awards.  Dolphin’s regional qualifier tally also increased to 40 courtesy of a 100m backstroke swim by 12 year old Denice Gardo with the same event boosting the national qualifier count to four as Olivia Flack went under the required mark.

Ten year old Henry Pearce was Dolphin’s top individual event medallist with eight gold and one silver.  Pearce also came close to his first regional qualifying time which, based on his performances, is something he will no doubt achieve soon.  Recent new regional qualifier Joshua Fox won an impressive seven gold, two silver and two bronze.  National qualifier Sophie Bartlett was also amongst the medal winners with six gold, three silver and two bronze and recorded a new county age group best time in the 50m freestyle.  As well as achieving new regional qualifying times in the 100m butterfly and 200m breaststroke, the 12 year old came within a few seconds of achieving a second national qualifying time in the 400m freestyle.

Olivia Flack‘s long awaited national qualifier status was finally realised on the last day of the competition with and impressive 1:09.07 in the 100m backstroke which was also a new county age group best time.  Earlier in the competition 12 year old Flack came within a few tenths of the national mark in the 200m backstroke and in the 400m freestyle produced a significant personal best swim to put her within striking distance of adding another national time.  Gold medals in five events, silver in three was a just reward for some fine individual performances.

Olivia Flack ~ 2014 national qualifier

William Davies’ form continued to improve as he produced two new regional qualifying and in the 400m freestyle pushed his best time tantalisingly close to a national qualifying time.  Given his current rate of improvement, achieving this accolade this season would not appear to be an unreasonable target.  Also producing a new regional qualifying time was Alice Lockey in the 200m breaststroke.

Competing in her first county championships, nine year old Erin Henly performed well winning 2 gold, silver and bronze.  Other Dolphin medallists were Annie Ward (3 silver), Oscar Pearcey (2 silver, 1 bronze), William Davies (silver, 5 bronze), Lucie Wells (silver), Maya Grounsell (silver), Catherine Naus (2 bronze) and Millie Jeans (2 bronze).

In the final BAGCAT awards, Olivia Flack and Sophie Bartlett took the first two places in the girls 12 years category, Flack just having the edge on points by virtue of her main events being on form strokes rather than freestyle.  Also enjoying first places were Henry Pierce, Joshua Fox and James Watson in their respective age groups.  Other BAGCAT top six places went to Erin Henly (girls 9 years 3rd), Oscar Pearcey (boys 10 years 3rd), Jake Lewis (boys 14 years 3rd), William Davies (boys 13 years 4th), Annie Ward (girls 13 years 4th) and Rebecca Matthews (girls 14 years 4th).

Swindon Dolphin BAGCAT award winners and coaches

Individual event medal table (9 to 14 years)GoldSilverBronzeSwindon Dolphin442923Trowbridge344135Bradford on Avon342023Tigersharks263339Salisbury162316Chippenham12010Marlborough151Marlborough College110Wroughton101Warminster077Calne Alpha034Westbury030Wootton Bassett014Malmesbury011Corsham010Melksham001

BAGCAT AwardsGoldSilverBronzeSwindon Dolphin413Bradford on Avon31Tigersharks252Trowbridge134Salisbury122Chippenham1Warminster1