30 September/1 October 2023
Sixteen Fins’ swimmers travelled to the Xcite Centre in Bathgate to compete in the East District Time Trials. The main objective was to either improve on an existing time or set a time for a specific event to enable the swimmers to be able to qualify for other events, including the East District Age Group Championships.
I think it is safe to say that the objective was well and truly achieved with 37 of the 38 swims resulting in a PB for the swimmers, a 97% improvement rate, which is exceptional in an open meet.
The top swimmer in this context was Lilian Blair, 11/12 years girls. It should be noted that as the time trials were mainly targeting the District Age Groups, the age categories, in the trials, related to the swimmers’ age in 2024.
Lilian had the top two Fins’ PBs reducing her 200m backstroke by 48.00 seconds and her 200m individual medley by 22.25 seconds. She also had the 6th largest PB by improving her 100m butterfly by 16.63 seconds and recorded a 15.08 seconds PB in her 200m freestyle. Lilian’s other two swims, the 400m individual medley and the 400m freestyle were first time swims in a competition.
Lilian won all her six events.
The third largest PB came from Cole Gray, 11/12 boys in his 200m freestyle, which he reduced by 21.04 seconds. Cole also recorded the 5th largest Fins’ PB by reducing his 100m backstroke by 19.70 seconds. His remaining six swims, 100m and 200m breaststroke, 100m and 400m freestyle, 100m butterfly, and 200m individual medley were all first time swims in a competition.
Cole finished 1st in the 100m backstroke, 2nd in the 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley, 3rd in both the 100m breaststroke and 200m freestyle, and 4th in both the 200m breaststroke and 400m freestyle.
The 4th largest PB came from Ethan Pate, 13 years boys, by reducing his 400m individual medley by 21.03 seconds. Ethan also recorded an 8.31 seconds PB in his 200m breaststroke and a 6.91 seconds PB in his 200m backstroke.
Ethan finished 1st in his 200m breaststroke, and 2nd in both his 200m backstroke and 400m individual medley.
As most of the swims were by the younger swimmers there was limited impact on the overall top 50 rankings.
Irys Blair, 14 years girls, had just the one swim and although she recorded a 2.51 second PB in the 400m individual medley, finishing in 3rd place, she remains in 38th place in the rankings but has closed the gap on 37th place to 2.60 seconds.
The top placed entry to the rankings was achieved by Charlotte Wardlaw, 16 years girls, in the 200m breaststroke with a 7.45 second PB, entering in 40th place. This in turn means that Caroline Watson drops out. Caroline set her time at Whitburn, in the East District Age Group Championships in March 1994.
The time now required to enter the girls 200m breaststroke now stands at 3 minutes 11.06 seconds.
The was one other entry and that came from Eva Watson, 13 years girls, with her first competitive swim in the 400m individual medley, coning 1st in the trials, with a time of 6 minutes 13.86 seconds, entering in 42nd place. We therefore lose our current Wellbeing and Protection Officer, Jacqueline McCabe, from the rankings. Jacqui achieved her time at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in May 1988.
Those looking to enter the rankings in the 400m individual medley need to beat a time of 6 minutes 29.02 seconds.
The remaining update to the rankings, and the remaining 1st place at the trials, came from Adam Selbie who won the 200m breaststroke with a 0.23 second PB. Once again this means no change as Adam remains in 48th place, but closes the gap on 47th spot to just 0.16 seconds.
Of the 37 PBs 14 were first time competitive swims and of the remaining 23 swims 18 were 5 seconds or more. That is quite an achievement.
The remaining results were as follows:
Bailey Salmond-Will, 11/12 boys, 4th – 100m butterfly; 5th in the 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle, and 100m breaststroke.
Millie Whytock, 11/12 girls, 4th – 200m backstroke; 7th – 200m freestyle; 11th – 100m breaststroke. Millie was the fastest ‘11’ year old in all three events.
Caleb Gray, 13 years boys, 4th – 400m individual medley.
Sadie Paton, 11/12 girls, 5th – 100m butterfly; 8th – 100m breaststroke;13th – 100m backstroke; and 22nd – 100m freestyle.
Viktor Bak, 17/O boys, 5th – 100m backstroke
Ellen McLaughlin, 17/O girls, 12th – 200m freestyle
Summer Ramshaw, 11/12 girls, 14th – 100m breaststroke
Abby Morris, 16 girls, 14th – 100m freestyle
Chelsea Walker, 11/12 girls, 17th – 100m Breaststroke.
Well done to all the swimmers for an excellent overall performance and a big thank you to Head Coach Ian Lewis and his small group of dedicated coaches.
Ken White
Club Press Officer