Fins’ swimmers had a very successful second part of 2018 in terms of short course (25m pools) and open water swims.
Six swimmers in particular had high achievements, especially 20 year old Arran Stowe who was Fins’ first National Champion for quite a number of years and he also won the Scottish Open Water Grand Prix.
Although he finished 2nd in the Scottish Open Water 2K Championship; at Loch Venachar, Arran won the Scottish Title because the winner was an English swimmer from Ulverston, in the Lake District, and therefore ineligible for the Scottish Title.
The Grand Prix is decided on a swimmer’s four highest performances out of eight races comprising each of the four Scottish District events plus four events, over different distances at the Scottish Championships. Arran won the Grand Prix by winning the East, Midlands and North District events and was runner up in the Scottish 2K. He was also runner up at the West District event.
At the end of 2018 two swimmers sit at the top of their respective Scottish Short Course Age Group Rankings plus a further three swimmers are ranked in the top 10.
13 Year old Erin Taylor is ranked 1st in the 200m Butterfly; 3rd in the 100m Butterfly; 4th in the 400m Individual Medley; 6th in the 100m Breaststroke; and 10th in the 200m Individual Medley.
12 year old Esme Lee is ranked 1st in the 200m Breaststroke; 5th in both the 200m and 400m Individual medley; 7th in the 200m Backstroke and 1500m Freestyle; and 8th in the 100m Individual Medley.
16 year old Caitlyn Dodds is ranked 3rd in both the 100m and 200m Backstroke; 7th in both the 100m Butterfly and 100m Individual Medley; 8th in the 50m Freestyle; 9th in the 50m Backstroke; and 10th in the 200m Individual Medley.
16 year old Theo Goodfellow is ranked 4th in the 100m Breaststroke; and 5th in both the 50m and 200m Breaststroke.
18 year old Euan Pate is ranked 10th in the 200m Butterfly.
There are also a few more swimmers sitting just outside the top 10 and hopefully some will join their team mates in the first half of 2019 when the focus of the major competitions will be long course (50m pools), starting with the Brodies Scottish Schools Championships at the end of January.