Seventeen swimmers travelled to Prestonpans; last weekend, to compete in the ELST Meet, including some of our younger swimmers some of whom were experiencing competition outwith Fife and with swimmers from all over the East District and beyond.
Back row, left to right: Lilian, Cole, Ethan, Steven
Front row, left to right: Caleb, Millie, Sadie, Summer, Bryony, Chelsea, Eden.
The swimmers competed in a total of 81 swims with an improvement rate of just under 60%, with a few swimmers having a pretty heavy schedule over the two days.
Overall, the swimmers won 11 gold, 11 silver and 7 bronze medals plus a further 33 top 10 finishes, and 9 of the 48 PBs were in double figures, and 8 swimmers won at least one medal.
There was one entry to the Fins’ all-time top 50 rankings plus four other advances, with the top performance coming from Kristin Mackay, 14/15 girls, who enters the top 50 in 20th place in the 200m breaststroke with the largest PB of the weekend by a Fins’ swimmer of 40.42 seconds, but it is only fair to point out that the previous best recorded time was set in 2020. As this was an entry then someone must drop out of the rankings and in this case, it is Kimberley McCabe who set her time at Carnegie in October 2017. Kimberley is one of our current swimmers and has had several PBs recently so to restore her position the time now required for entry is 3 minutes 10.87 seconds.
The four advances up the rankings were achieved by Irys Blair, 12/13 girls, who had three, and the fourth by Ethan Pate, 12/13 boys.
Irys moved from 38th to 32nd in the 400m individual medley with a PB of 3.21 seconds, from 44th to 38th in the 50m backstroke with a 0.20 second PB, and from 49th to 45th in the 400m freestyle with a PB of 4.00 seconds.
Ethan moved from 44th to 40th in the 200m butterfly recording a PB of 10.34 seconds.
There was absolutely no doubt about the top medal winner, of the weekend, and that was Lilian Blair, 10/11 girls, who won 10 gold medals from eleven swims, and her eleventh swim produced a silver medal. Lilian’s gold medals were won in the 100m and 200m backstroke; 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke; 50m and 100m butterfly; and 50m, 100m, and 400m freestyle. In her 200m Lilian had to settle for silver having lost out to Robyn
Fins only other gold medal was won Kristin when she won gold in the 400m individual medley. Kristin won a full set of medals, with a silver in 200m breaststroke, losing out to Cara White of Ren 96; and a bronze in the 400m freestyle. Kristin also finished 5th in the 100m butterfly and 7th in the 200m freestyle.
Irys won five medals, four silver and one bronze, with the silver medals coming in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke; and the 400m individual medley; and the bronze medal in the 400m freestyle. Irys also finished 5th in the 200m individual medley and 100m butterfly; 6th in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle; 9th in the 200m breaststroke; and 15th in the 100m breaststroke. She also had one swim with a double figure PB reducing her previous best for the 200m individual medley by 11.21 seconds.
Millie Whytock, swimming in the younger half of the 10/11 years girls age group won three silver and one bronze medal. Millie’s silver medals were for the 100m and 200m backstroke, and 100m butterfly; and the bronze medal was for the 400m freestyle. Millie was also 5th in the 200m individual medley; 7th in the 100m freestyle, and 12th in the 100m breaststroke.
Millie also had a double figure PB reducing her 200m backstroke by 10.53 seconds.
Caleb Gray, another swimmer to swim in the younger half of an age group, this time the boys 12/13 years, won a silver medal in the 400m individual medley and a bronze in the 400m freestyle. Caleb was 4th in the 200m freestyle, 6th in the 200m individual medley, 8th in the 50m backstroke, 9th in the 100m butterfly, and
10th in both the 200m breaststroke and 200m backstroke.
In terms of improvement Caleb recorded four PBs in double figures reducing his 400m individual medley by15.11 seconds, his 200m breaststroke by 12.84 seconds, his 400m freestyle by 12.52 seconds and his 200m backstroke by 11.71 seconds.
Cole Gray, 10/11 boys, won a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke with a PB of 10.15 seconds.
Cole also had two 4th placings in the 50m freestyle and 100m individual medley, and was 5th in the 100m breaststroke.
Steven Pate, 16 and over boys, won two bronze medals in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, and was 6th in the 50m freestyle.
Grace Wilson, 16 and over girls won a bronze medal in the 200m individual medley, a 4th place in the 50m backstroke, 7th in the 50m freestyle and 8th, with the 2nd largest PB of the weekend, 22.89 seconds, in the 100m butterfly.
Jennifer Gordon, 16/O girls, just missed out on a medal finishing 4th in the 100m butterfly, 5th in the 50m backstroke and 11th in the 50m freestyle.
Ethan Pate, 12/13 boys, again a swimmer in the younger half of an age group, just missed out on a medal finishing 4th in 200m butterfly, 8th in the 100m butterfly, 12th in the 200m breaststroke, and 20th in the 100m breaststroke.
The remaining 7 swimmers finished as follows:
Sadie Paton, 10/11 girls, 6th – 50m butterfly; 7th on both the 50m and 100m backstroke; 8th – 100m individual medley; 9th in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke; 14th – 50m freestyle; and 18th – 100m freestyle.
Finnley Macdonald, 14/15 boys, in the younger half of the age group, 10th – 50m breaststroke; and 13th – 100m freestyle.
Bryony Smart, 10/11 girls, 11th – 50m backstroke; 14th – 100m breaststroke; and 17th – 100m freestyle.
Summer Ramshaw, 10/11 girls, 13th – 50m breaststroke; 14th – 50m backstroke; 15th – 100m breaststroke; and 16th – 50m freestyle.
Eden Mackie, 10/11 girls, 15th – 50m freestyle
Abby Morris, 14/15 girls, 19th – 50m butterfly; and 23rd -50m freestyle
Chelsea Walker, 10/11 girls, younger half of age group, 21st – 100m freestyle.
Another successful meet for all the Fins’ swimmers
Ken White
Club Press Officer