Nine Fins swimmers travelled to Aberdeen for the University of Aberdeen Age Group Open Meet, where the competition proved to be very tough. Over the two days Fins managed to gain one bronze medal, but made a further 19 finals and reserve places, or their equivalent (up to 12th place).

In total the nine swimmers competed in 51 swims, recording 29 PBs, or 57% improvement rate, which is down a bit from normal, but again some of this will be due to some swimmers setting new times at SNAGS.

However, the swimmers did have some very good swims and as fair bit of success, which had an impact on 20 of the long course rankings, including 4 new entries. There were also 8 swims that resulted in no change to the swimmer’s position in the rankings, despite PBs being recorded.

Top swimmer for Fins, winning the only medal, a bronze, in the 1500m freestyle, was Eva Watson, 12 to 14years female. .Eva’s 1500m freestyle was one on the no change swim, despite her recording the largest PB by a Fins’ swimmer of 34.99 seconds, having just set her previous best at SNAGS. This is since only two females have recorded a 1500m freestyle time. However, what it has done is to move Eva to within 33.64 of Kristin Mackay and a club long course record for the 1500m freestyle. Eva’s time of 19 minutes 29.93 seconds moves her into the top 10, 14 years female, in the official Scottish rankings in 10th place.

Not only did Eva record the largest PB, by a Fins’ swimmer, but she also had two further PBs in the top five, and in addition had the largest rise up the rankings.

Eva’s other swims resulted in her finishing 7th in the 400m freestyle, recording the 4th largest PB of 7.73 seconds, moving her up the rankings from 14th to 8th. She was also 11th in the 200m butterfly, 13th in the 200m freestyle, where she recorded the second largest PB of 12.13 seconds and produced the largest move up the rankings of 12 places from 25th to 13th. Eva also finished 22nd in the 100m freestyle.

Lilian Blair, 12 to 14 female, also had a successful weekend, her top finish coming in the 100m freestyle where she just missed out on a medal, finishing in 4th place, recording a time of 1 minute 4.42 seconds, in the heats, which was a 2.21 second PB and places her 5th in the 13 years Scottish rankings, and was also the 3rd largest move in the Fins rankings, moving from 17th to 8th. Lilian’s other results were

5th in the 200m Individual medley with a 1.40 PB, moving her from 16th to 12th in the Fins’ rankings, and ranks her 4th in the Scottish rankings. Lilian was 6th in both the 100m breaststroke and 200m butterfly. In the 100m breaststroke Lilian is currently 3rd in the Scottish rankings from her time at SNAGS, and her time of 2 minutes 56.64 seconds in her 200m butterfly moves her into the top 10 in Scotland in 9th place in the rankings. This was achieved with a3.12 second Pb which also moves her from10th to 9th in the Fins’ rankings.

In the 100m butterfly, Lilian finished 7th place. However, her heat time was faster than her final recoding a 1 minute 11.87 seconds which ranks her 4th in the Scottish rankings, just 1.17 seconds off top spot, currently held by Emily Taylor, Lanark, and a 1.01 second PB moves her from 14th to 11th in Fins’ rankings.

Lilian finished 11th in both the 200m backstroke and 200m freestyle. A 1.67 second PB in her 200m backstroke means that she is 9th equal in the Scottish rankings with Robyn Maxwell of Dumfries, but there was no change to the Fins’ rankings, and in the 200m freestyle she is just outside the Scottish top 10, but a 1.50 second PB moves her from 14th to 12th in the Fins rankings.

In her remaining event Lilian finished 12th in the 199m backstroke.

Irys Blair. 15/16 female, competed in 7 events, with two having an impact on Fins’ rankings. Her results were – 6th in the 200m backstroke, 8th in the 100m backstroke, 9th in the 400m individual medley, 10th in the 200m individual medley, 18th in the 100m breaststroke, where a 2.25 second PB moves her from 22nd to 16th in the Fins rankings, 25th in the 50m freestyle and 30th in the 50m freestyle.

Caleb Gray, 12/14 male, competed in 6 events, but unfortunately did not quite manage to impact the Fins’ rankings. Caleb’s results were – 6th in the 200m butterfly, 14th in the 400m freestyle, 15th in the 200m breaststroke, 19th in the 200m backstroke, 22nd in the 200m freestyle, and 23rd in the 50m butterfly.

Millie Whytock, 12/14 female, had 7 swims, 3 of which impacted the rankings, including the 3rd largest movement up the rankings, and she also recorded the 3rd largest PB.

Millie’s results were – 7th in the 100m backstroke, 8th in the 200m backstroke, 15th in both the 50m freestyle and the 400m freestyle. In the 50m freestyle a 1.77 second PB gave Millie the 3rd largest move up the rankings from 25th to 15th, More importantly Millie’s time of 30.61 second ranks her 1st in the 12 years female Scottish Long Course rankings.

Millies 400m freestyle swim was her first time at this event, long course so enters the Fins’ rankings in 13th place. Again, her time of 5 minutes.7.79 seconds places her 3rd in the Scottish rankings, behind Emmeline Eales of Kingston Royals, and Grace Taylor of Afford Otters.

Finally, in her 200m freestyle Millie was 25th but record the 3rd largest PB of 8.32 seconds which meant that she moved from 24th to 16th in the Fins’ rankings, and her time of 2 minutes 27.91 seconds, places her 3rd in the Scottish rankings, again behind Emmeline and Grace, but just 4.49 seconds from the top spot.

Cole Gray, 12/14 male, also competed in 6 events and did manage to impact on Fins‘ in 3 of them in three of them. His results were – 9th in the 50m backstroke, 12th in the 200m butterfly, 16th in the 200m breaststroke, where he recorded the 5th largest PB of 6.33 seconds, which meant he moved up the Fins rankings from16th to 15th. Cole also finished 21st in the200m freestyle, this time a 4.43 second PB moves him from 22nd to 20th in the rankings, and he was also 25th in both the 100m butterfly and 50m freestyle, and in the 50m freestyle his PB was 0.75 seconds which moved him from 22nd to 19th in the rankings,

Jack Campbell, 12/14 male, was another swimmer who had a successful weekend. He competed in 5 events and all 5 impacted Fins’ rankings, including 3 new entries.

Jack’s results were – 11th in the 200m butterfly which was an entry in 13th place. He was 20th in the 200m back stroke and this was another entry in 18th place. Jack’s 50m butterfly resulted in a 21st placing and a 4.80 second PB moves him from 23rd to 22nd in the rankings. He also finished 100m butterfly in 28th place and this was his 3rd entry to the rankings in 17th place, and his remaining event was the 100m freestyle, where he recorded a 1.78 second PB moving him up the rankings from27th to 26th.

Finnley McDonald, 15/16 male had 6 swims but unfortunately none impacted the rankings, apart from a ‘no change. His results were – 17th in the 400m freestyle; 26th in the 200m backstroke; 27th in the 200m freestyle; 28th in the 100m backstroke, 32nd in the 50m freestyle; and 34th in the 100m freestyle.

The remaining swimmer, with just one swim, was Harvey Whytock, 15/16 male, who finished 23rd in the 100m butterfly.

Overall, I would say that this was a successful weekend. The non PBs were not too far away, many of the previous times being set at SNAGS, very recently, and these were countered by some excellent PBs.