AWESOME FOURSOME lead the way with DX eXcellent swims at Regional Champs!

This weekend saw the turn of the BAGCAT DX swimmers out in force at the first weekend of the Regional Championships.

Leading the way were the AWESOME FOURSOME relay team of Connor Smith, James Latham, Kevin Wallbank and Ben Goodall (pictured left to right opposite - Ben with what looks like his old goggles on in this picture!).

These 13 year and 14 year old lads had a mamouth schedule this weekend racing 38 swims between them (Ben swimming a whopping 13 races!), often with only mintues to spare between races, the consistency of high level swims and personal best times that they achieved was a testament to their hard work, skill and above all team work in supporting each other through the weekend....Girls its your turn next weekend....bring on the face paint!

The lads above won GOLD in the 4 x 100m Medley Relay Team posting a time of 4.22.49, SILVER in the 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay in a time of 8.28.87, and BRONZE in the 4 x 100m Freestyle relay in 3.59.04.
As well as the team events there were also a number of outstanding individual swims:

BEN GOODALL (13 years) won GOLD medals, NATIONAL QUALIFYING TIMES and PERSONAL BESTS in 400m and 1500m Freestyle (swimming inside the 15 years national qualifying time). Ben also achieved SILVER 200 Breaststroke (smashing his Pb and just missing the national time) and 200m I.M again in a personal best time, Ben's relay teammate CONNOR SMITH (14 years) won SILVER 100m Fly and 100m Freestyle and BRONZE in 400m Freestyle knocking 3.75 secs off his personal best time. Connor also went a lifetime best time in the 200m I.M heats. OLIVER DAVIDSON (12 years) is coming back to form and achieved a BRONZE medal in the 200m Breatstroke, also swimming to best times in the 400m Freestyle and 200m I.M. JIMMY LATHAM (14 years) added a BRONZE medal in the 200m Breaststroke to add to his relay medals, James also did best times in the 200m I.M, and 100m Freestyle (1st leg of the Freestyle relay). KEVIN WALLBANK (14 years) who had a hectic schedule of 11 swims in 2 days, including the 3 medal winning relays swam to personal best times in the 200m Backstroke missing out on the National qualifing standard by less than 1 second. Kev also swam a best time in the lead off Backstroke leg of the 4 x 100m Medley Relay and the 200m I.M.

The girls also had some great swims with HANNAH JONES (13 years) winning GOLD in the 100m Butterfly in a time of 1.07.47, also achieving 4th in a personal best time in the 400m Freestyle. SARAH VASEY (13 years) fought well to make improvements in the 200m Breaststroke event to bring her closer to form with a 4th place in the final. Sarah also did a lifetime best time in the 400m Freestyle. LUCY WOOD (13 years) swam a lifetime best to take the BRONZE medal in the 200m Backstroke in a time of 2.27.25, swiftly followed by teammate Eve Farnsworth who finished 4th swimming again under her national qualification standard. Lucy also swam a pb in the 200m I.M, whilst EVE swam pb's in the 100m and 400m Freestyle. ABBIE WOOD (11 years) swam to a SILVER MEDAL and her 3rd NATIONAL QUALIFYING TIME in the 100m Breaststroke knocking 4.14 seconds off her previous best. Abbie also lowered her 400m I.M time by 2.83 seconds. Pb's also came in the 200m Freestyle, 200m Fly. Kathryn Roworth (12 years) hard work and application is starting to pay off with a personal best time in the 200m Backstroke of 2.71 seconds and Emma Longden (13 years) swam a personal best time in the 100m Fly by a whopping 3.15 seconds.

Overall it has been an excellent weekend of swimming and shows that the swimmers are more than prepared for the upcoming end of season meets at Cardiff and of course the National Championships at Sheffield where 27 DX swimmers will be competing...so far!. The hard work continues now through to next weekend and the second weekend of the regional championships...this time the girls have their turn in the team events, and more fast swimming, medals and most importantly personal bests. The younger Derventio swimmers have demontrated the same professionalism and dedication along with a fun and supported team work as their senior counterparts, again showing that Derventio is the place to eXcel in the water!

Well Done BAGCATS...one weekend down...one to go!