Third Moonraker Victory for ‘A’ Team

Event: Wiltshire Moonraker Summer League, Rd 3 (25m)Venues: Springfield Leisure Centre, Corsham & Link Centre, SwindonDate: Saturday, 12th July 2008

Swindon Dolphin ‘A’ team eased to a 10 point victory in Round 3 of the Moonraker Summer League at Corsham on Saturday night and now have an overall lead of 56 points with one gala remaining. Despite being neck and neck with eventual runners up Tigersharks over the first ten races, fine wins by both the boys’ and girls’ under 12 medley relay squads gave Dolphin a lead they held until being briefly overhauled by their local rivals in event 34. Dolphin promptly regained the advantage and confirmed their victory with five consecutive first places and three seconds in the l ast eight events. Trowbridge finished a close third, with Chippenham trailing in fourth place.

Dolphin accumulated 21 first places during the contest, eight of which came in relays with the boys’ teams unbeaten in each of the under 12, under 14 and under 16 groups while the under 12 girls also scooped victories in both the freestyle and medley. The boys’ under 12 and under 14 squads remain unbeaten in this competition all season. Dolphin’s 13 individual victories were spread amongst 11 different swimmers. Most successful were Niall Westman and Lauren Matthews, the under 12 swimmers both notching up two wins apiece. Others to claim first places were Craig Lofts, Liam Herbert, James Clarke, Liam Tubb, Tilly Gray, Noah Kirby, Tom Iles, Cathal Westman and Elizabeth Beckett.

It will take a massive effort by Tigersharks in the final round in mid September to deny Dolphin victory this year.

Results: Swindon Dolphin A – 148 Points; Tigersharks A – 138; Trowbridge – 131; Chippenham – 83

In Division 2 at the Link Centre, the men’s open squad bagged most points for the ‘B’ team with an impressive victory in the medley relay event and convincing wins for Moonraker debutants, Mike Eaton and Alex Chklar, in the 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly respectively.

The boys’ under 12 quartet of John Fouracre, Adam Coleman, Alex Chantler and Lewis Ford were far from being overshadowed by their senior team-mates securing first place finishes in both their medley and freestyle relays with Chantler also triumphant in the 50m butterfly Dolphin’s only other win came from Harriet Ritson in the girls’ under 14 50m backstroke but there were notable runners up spots for Victoria Tainty, Lily Waite, Chantler, Nick Southern, Dani Harris & Anthony Clark and for the girls’ under 12 medley and freestyle relay foursomes.