EIGHT Gainsborough Dolphins swimmers recorded many personal best times at the recent Doncaster Dartes Minster Meet at Beverley with four swimmers competing in an open meet for the first time. Lydia Waring (11), a more experienced swimmer, swam four events achieving personal best times in three of them, swimming nearly five seconds faster in her 100m individual medley which was rewarded with 7th place. Other swims included 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke each with a one second personal best. Amelia Carter (11) and Ella Marsh (12) were two swimmers swimming for the first time. They competed in two and three events respectively and overcame their nerves and both achieving personal best times. Brother and sister Grace and George Tooke (10 and 11) both knocked a massive 10 seconds off their previous times for 100m individual medley which was reward for their hard training in sessions. George achieved 6th place in that event along with 7th place for 50m freestyle. Grace also knocked nearly four seconds off her 50m freestyle time and finishing 7th in the 50m breaststroke. Zaki and Zahrah Thomas (both 11) also had some outstanding swims with Zahrah recording second place in her 50m butterfly along with 5 second PB in her 50m breaststroke and 50m freestyle. Zaki swam 6 seconds faster than he previously in the 100m individual medley finishing in 8th and came 9th in his freestyle race. Fourteen year old Lauren Zaitschenko also had some good swims coming 3rd place in the 50m breaststroke and also achieving 5th in the 100m IM and 50m backstroke. The gala was successful for all swimmers with many personal bests along with valuable gala experience.
