Excellent Start for Sx3 Southern Junior League Campaign

Sx3 – A Team

Swindon Swim Squad’s A Team got their Southern Junior League campaign off to the best possible start with an excellent first round victory at the Horfield Leisure Centre, Bristol on Saturday night recording a 78 point win over nearest rivals Tornadoes of South Dorset and finishing 84 points ahead of third place Christchurch Seagulls. Sx3, made up of the best young swimmers from Swindon Dolphin, Tigersharks, Swindon ASC and Wroughton amassed 35 first place finishes, 10 seconds and were only outside the top two on 4 occasions in the 49 race gala.

The relay foursomes were in outstanding form winning 12 of their 16 events. 9 year olds Sam Hunter, Adam Brown, Sami Donmez and William Pilworth won both their age group 4×1 freestyle and medley races as did Tom Codling, Noah Kirby, Alex Eburn, Liam Jefferies and Alex Chantler-Mayne in the 10s, and Jack Janicki, Niall Westman, Jefferies, Chantler-Mayne and Craig Lofts in the 11s.Not to be outdone, the girls’ 11 and 12 quartets were equally impressive in the freestyle and medley relays – Lauren Matthews, Michelle Bilko, Georgie Manning & Charlotte Pitts winning both for the 11s and Briony Merritt, Michaela Boniface, Sam Berry, Helen Bennett and Sophie Roberts taking the honours in the 12s. There was also success for the Girls’ 9 and 10 year medley squads.

In the individual events Sx3 won 21 out of the 32 swims. There were 2 wins apiece for Hunter (9 years, 25m brs & fly), Abbey Hawkins (9 years, 25m frs & back), Kirby (10 years, 50m brs & frs), C Pitts (11 years, 50m frs & brs) and Westman (11 & 12 years 50m brs). For the 9 year olds William Pilsworth took the 25m freestyle, Alice Beaney won the 25m breaststroke, Sami Donmez claimed the 25m backstroke and Abigale Davidson touched first in the 25m butterfly. 10 year old winners included Samantha Reeves & Codling (50m back) and Eburne & Georgina Pitts (50m fly). Matthews was triumphant in the 50 backstroke for the girls’ 11’s while 12 year old’s Merritt (50m back), Berry (50m fly) and Roberts (50m frs) were also victorious. 

The final event of the evening brought the roof down when the Sx3 mixed 8×1 freestyle relay team swimmers (Hawkins, Pilsworth, G Pitts, Kirby, C Pitts, Lofts, Roberts and Matthew Sambrook) romped home in a thrilling encounter.

Results:

1. Sx3 A – 275 points

2. Tornadoes of South Dorset – 197

3. Christchurch Seagulls – 191

4. Bath Dolphin – 175

5. Bristol North – 96

6. Gillingham – 60

Team:

A Davidson, A Beaney, C Hickey, A Hawkins, S Hunter, A Brown, S Donmez, W Pilsworth, S Reeves, G Pearce, G Pitts, V Tainty, T Codling, N Kirby, A Eburne, L Jefferies, L Matthews, M Bilko, C Pitts, G Manning, J Janicki, N Westman, C Lofts, A Chantler-Mayne, B Merritt, M Boniface, S Berry, S Roberts, M Sambrook, H Bennett, N Root, J Patey & L Bailey

Meanwhile the Sx3 B team found themselves amongst formidable opposition at Keynsham but turned in a brave performance and demonstrated a remarkable team spirit to finish fifth in this arduous contest, won convincingly by Ferndown. 

In top form were Lucy Stratton, Lauren Elias, Charlotte Gardo & Emily Weston claiming second and third respectively in the girls’ 12 years 4 X 25m medley and freestyle relays. 10 year olds Adam Coleman, Scott Gunning, Luke Brown & Luke Willis, and 11 year olds Daniel Watt, Elliott Willoughby, Jack Spooner and Jake Hancock also secured creditable second places in the boys’ freestyle relay events with the girls’ 9 year quartet of Bethany Wakefield, Jade Walters, Tayla Howie and Amy Connaghan finishing third in the 4×1 medley.

Other impressive performances came from 10 year olds Freya Weston and Willis both coming home second in the 50m backstroke and Alex Wakefield who was narrowly beaten in the one length butterfly. Coleman, Spooner, Watson and Bethany Wakefield also touched third in their individual swims.

Results:

1. Ferndown – 237 points

2. Keynsham – 225

3. Thornbury – 188

4. Throwbridge – 163

5. Sx3 B – 116

6. Weymouth – 83

Team:

B Wakfield, A Connaghan, T Howie, H Parsons, J Walters,R Gooch, C Harris, L Jackson, A Wakefield, H Brooker, F Weston, M Martin, R Merritt, C Pascarella, L Gardo, L Willis, W Bennett, L Brown, S Gunning, A Coleman, L Waite, R Hussey, L Toner, B Crouch, D James, D Watt, E Willoughby, J Spooner, J Hancock, J Fouracre, L Stratton, L Elias, C Gardo, E Watson, J Goode, S Woolford, A Butler & E Pilsworth

The Second Round of the Southern Junior League is on the 17th of May.

Source: Sx3 Press Team