Eighteen swimmers competed at the popular DARTES Minster Meet at Beverley pool on 22nd April, they competed as of the age on the day of the race. They brought home 19 medals and 10 speeding tickets (this was a B/C grade meet and they just broke through the cut off times!!!).
The morning session excelled under the guidance of coach, David Trickett, with 10 medals, even after an exciting evening at the club champs and an early 6.30am start. The star performance was a win by 15 yrs Amy Evans in the first event, 100m IM(C) in a time of 1.24.85; she quickly followed this up with a 3rd place in 50m Fly in a time of 40.18 and was so close with a 7th & 8th place in backstroke and breaststroke respectively. Tonicha Watson was one of three girls on the day to bring home 3 medals; Tonicha, 15 yrs,came 2nd in both the 100m IM (B) and the 50m backstroke and won a 4th place in her favourite breaststroke in a time of 43.47, whilst achieving the accolade of a speeding ticket in the 50m fly .Lauren Zaitchenko made up the trio of 15 year old girls had a great race in the 50m freestyle finishing 2nd in a time of 37.48. The other trio competing in the morning were the 12 year old girls, Lydia Waring, Hollie Watkins and Zarah Thomas. Lydia led the way with 2 medals, a 4th and 5th in her favourite strokes of backstroke and breaststroke respectively, whilst Zarah came 5th in the 50m freestyle. Hollie just went that fast in the 100m IM she got a speeding ticket, smashing her entry time by 5.5s to finish in 1.34.22. The only boy in the morning was 9 year old Ethan Burton, he stuck close to David so he could talk man to man!! Ethan had 2 great swims, he smashed his 50m backstroke time an ot a speeding ticket, but then got himself back in the water and achieved 5th in the 50m freestyle in a PB of 47.09.
When the afternoon session came is was time for the two experienced coaches of Chris Webster and Mark Smith to guide the squad to another 9 medals. Try as we did to beat Davids tally we just wound the swimmers up so much they got 8 speeding tickets between them. Of the 9 medals won in the afternoon the 10year old girl quad won 6 of them. Harriet Webster had a great birthday getting 4th in her favourite 50m fly and 6th in both the 50m freestyle and her achilles heel, breaststroke; she surprised herself on backstroke with a 3s PB and a speeding ticket. Lily Talbot had a string of PBs resulting in three 6th places in 100m IM, 50m breaststroke and 50m fly; perhaps her best swim was actually a 4s PB on freestyle in 41.1s. Katie Bindon had some gutsy swims and was still feeling the tiredness in her bones from the club champs, but was really pleased with a PB in the breaststroke of 56.88s and was so close with two 7th places. Annabelle Haldenby was competing in her first open meet and was overjoyed with a 2.2s PB in the breaststroke; her grin was that wide she could have been on Alice in Wonderland. The trio of 9year old girls Nicole Bindon, Marsaili Jolly and Ryley Johnson were swimming in this meet for the first time and had some great swims. Ryley was excited with a 6th place in 50m freestyle as the result of a 1s PB in 45.84s and a speeding ticket in freestyle. Marsailli got PBs in both her swims of backstroke and breaststroke and loved cheering on her fellow swimmers. Nicole got a speeding ticket for annihilating her 50m freestyle time by 6s to 50.59s. The two 13 year old girls, Charlotte Smith and Ella Marsh, had a successful event. Charlotte got her mind into gear after a self analysis of her first race and achieved two 3rd places in fly and breaststroke and couldn’t believe it when she ot a speeding ticket in the freestyle. Ella has been training hard recently excelled at the freestyle with a 2.8s PB in a resultant speeding ticket. The only boys in the afternoon were in the 12years. Reagan Johnson , competing for the first time had a great breaststroke swim and was unfortunate to be DQ’d, but he rallied himself to swim the free and just couldn’t quite get going after a long afternoon. Zaki Thomas PB’d in all his swims, the most notable being a 6.4s PB in 50m backstroke and a massive 7.8s off the 100m IM time earning him a speeding ticket.
A long 11 hour day, but some great swims from all 18 swimmers, well done to you and your parents for supporting you and thanks to David and Mark for helping me coach.
Chris Webster
Coach GDSC