Great Weston Finale

Event: Southern Junior League Final Venue: Hutton Moor, Weston-super-Mare Date: 26th June 2010

Two wins from the two preliminary rounds of the Southern Junior League ensured that Swindon Dolphin took their place in the final of the competition at Weston-super-Mare last weekend.

Six teams and their supporters packed the stands at the Hutton Moor pool for a competition that not only tests a team’s swimming ability, but also their teamwork and sportsmanship, and serves as a valuable learning experience in their future development for the 9 to 12 year olds taking part. The eventual winner of this final would go forward to the Southern region final in October, something last experienced by Dolphin swimmers in 2004. The 2004 squad included ten who have since progressed to competing at National level including some medallists.

Last years winners and this year’s favourites to make the Southern final were Ferndown. An incredible 34 winner and runner-up spots for the south coast club gave them a clear overall majority of these key positions and they proved unassailable, winning the overall competition by a clear 55 point margin over second placed Weston-super-Mare.

Dolphin still enjoyed a few moments of glory, initially with a win in the very first race by the girls 9 years freestyle quartet of Denice Gardo, Abigail Ross, Millie Jeans and Georgia Dicks. Success followed in event four with the boys 10 years medley team of Conor McGilligan, James Chantler-Mayne, James Watson and Ben Sarachi also touching home first. Event 13 saw Dolphin’s only individual win by Abbie Hawkins in the 50m backstroke. Earning valuable second places for the team were Millie Jeans (25m freestyle), James Chantler-Mayne (50m breaststroke), Noah Kirby (50m breaststroke) and James Watson (50m freestyle).

Swindon Dolphin ~ Southern Junior League 2010

The extensive relay success enjoyed in the previous rounds could not be sustained, with Ferndown touching out Dolphin to the runner up spot on four occasions. Second place relay finishes went to the boys 12 years medley (Adam Coleman, Noah Kirby, Jerzy Pilipczuk, Liam Jefferies), girls 9 years medley (Millie Jeans, Abigail Ross, Denice Gardo, Georgia Dicks), girls 10 years freestyle (Rebecca Matthews, Amber Davies, Charlotte Brooker, Georgia Dicks), boys 10 years freestyle (Ben Sarachi, Conor McGilligan, James Chantler-Mayne, James Watson) and the boys 12 years freestyle (Liam Jefferies, Adam Colman, Jerzy Pilipczuk, Noah Kirby).