Fins Competitive Swim Club
University of Aberdeen Open Age Groups
The University of Aberdeen Open Age Groups were held at the University’s Sports Village from 24th tot 26th April, inclusive, consisting of just three age groupings – 12 to 14, 15/16 and 17 and over years, making it a bit mor difficult for some of the swimmers at the wrong end of the group
Ten Fins’ swimmers made the trip to Aberdeen and competed in 69 swims over the three days. The improvement rate was down slightly but still reasonable at 64%. The swimmers most affected were those who competed in the pool at SNAGS two weeks previously and most came close to their PBs. There were also some very good PBs recorded resulting in the swimmers achieving three gold, five silver, and two bronze medals, plus a further 21 top 10 places.
As this was a long course event there were 31 changes to the Fins’ long course top 50 rankings, including 10 new entries, plus 12 no changes, despite swimmers achieving PBs,
Top swimmer for Fins was Lilian Blair, 14 years female, who won gold in both her 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly, and silver in her 200m individual medley, 100m freestyle, and 200m backstroke. Lilian just missed out on two more medals finishing 4th in both the 400m freestyle, the 100m butterfly, and the 100m backstroke.
However, her achievements did not end there. Of the swimmers in Aberdeen, Lilian reached the highest position in the rankings, moving from 5th to 3rd in her 50m butterfly, with a 0.45 second PB. She recorded the largest PB of 59.18 seconds in her 400m freestyle, which she hadn’t swam long course for two years, but still a large PB. This also gave the largest move up the rankings from 19th to 9th.
Lilian recorded a further two PBs – in her 200m back she imp[roved by 5.30 seconds to move from 13th to 9th and in her 200m individual medley a 0.49 second PB moved her from 12th to 11rh.
Following her exceptional performances at SNAGS, Millie Whytock, 13 years female, could not quite match her times recorded, but came extremely close, especially in her 50m backstroke where she missed out by 5 one hundredths of a second, and won the gold medal.
Millie, won silver in both the 100m and 200m butterfly, bronze in both the 100m and 200m backstroke, 4th in the 800m freestyle, 5th in both the 100m and 200m freestyle, and 6th in the 50m freestyle
She did achieve one PB and that was a 0.11 second in her 2oom backstroke, which resulted in no change to the rankings so she remains in 10th place.
Millie was also a new entry to the rankings in her 800 freestyle as this was a first long course swim at this event, finishing in 4th place she enters the rankings in 8th place.
Ethan Pate, 15 years male, was 4th in the 800m freestyle, 8th in the 200m butterfly, 10th in the 400m individual medley, 11th in the 400m freestyle, 17th in the 100m butterfly, 23rd in the 200m individual medley, 25th in the 200m freestyle, 26th in the 100m freestyle, and 31st in the 100m backstroke.
This was a punishing schedule for Ethan who in the majority of swims rose to the occasion. He reached the 2nd highest place in Fins’ rankings with a 4.86 second PB in his 200m butterfly, which moved him from 6th to 5th. Ethan also remains in 5th place in his 800m freestyle despite a 14.16 second PB. His other moves were in the 400m freestyle, from 11th to 10th with a 13.09 second PB; 17th to 14th in his 100m butterfly, with a 2.14 second PB, and from 16th to 14th in his 200m individual medley with a 1.45 second PB.
Eva Watson, 15 years female, had three swims, again just missing out on the medals with a 4th place in the 800m freestyle. She also finished 10th in both the 200m and 400m freestyle.
Eva recorded a 0.95 second PB in her 800m freestyle, but this did not affect the rankings and she remains in 7th place.
Caleb Gray, 15 years male, was 7th in both the 800m freestyle and 400m individual medley, 11th in the 200m butterfly, 14th in the 400m freestyle, 24th in the 200m freestyle, and 25th in the 200m individual medley.
Caleb achieved the 2nd, 3rd and 4th largest PBs in his 800m freestyle, 400m individual medley, and 400m respectively, and despite a 27.85 second PB in his 800m freestyle he remains in 6th place with no change to the rankings. In his 400m individual medley his PB was 16.18 seconds and this moved him from 12th to 7th, and in his 400m freestyle he moved from 13th to 11th with a 15.88 second PB Caleb also had a 1.29 second PB in his 200m freestyle, moving him from 13th to 12th.
Cole Gray, 14 years male, was 8th in the 400m individual medley, 9th in both the 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle, 19th in both the 100m and 200m backstroke, 13th in the 50m butterfly, 14th in the 200m individual medley, and 21st in the 100m freestyle. But, despite recording PBs in his 200m butterfly, 400m freestyle, 200m backstroke, and 100m backstroke, his ranking positions did not change and remains in 12th, 14th, 14th, and 20th respectively.
He did, however enter the rankings in 13th place in nhis 400m individual medley in 13th place, and another PB in his 50m butterfly moved him from 22nd to 21st.
Jack Campbell, 14 years male, was 9th in the 50m backstroke, 13th in the 100m butterfly, 14th in the 50m butterfly, 18th in the200m individual medley,20th in the 100m backstroke, 21st in the 50m freestyle, 22nd in the 100m freestyle, and 33rd in the 50m breaststroke.
Jack had three entries to the rankings coming in at 19th in his 50m backstroke, 21st in his 50m freestyle, and 23rd in his 50m breaststroke. He also had a further four PBs which moved him up the rankings, moving from 23rd to 22nd in his50m butterfly, from 26th to 24th in his100m backstroke, and from 28th to 25th in his100m freestyle, and his final PB resulted in no change in his 200m individual medley, where he remains in 24th place.
Elliot Blair, 12 years male, was 20th in both his 400m freestyle and 200m backstroke, 21st in his 100m backstroke, 24th in his 100m butterfly, 34th in his 200m freestyle, and 36th in the 100m freestyle, which is pretty good
considering he was giving away two years to the oldest swimmers in the age group.
Elliot was a new entry to the rankings 9in his 400m freestyle in 16th place. He also had two no changes in his 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle where he remains at 23rd and 24th respectively..
Summer Ramshaw, 14 years female, was 30th in her 50m breaststroke, 33rd in her 50m backstroke, 34th in her 50m butterfly, 43rd in her 100m breaststroke, and 56th in the 100m butterfly.
Summer had two entries to the rankings at 25th in her 50m butterfly and 31st in her 100m butterfly. Her remaining three swims were all PBs and in her 50m breaststroke she moves from 31st to 25th in the rankings, in her 50m backstroke she moves from 31st to 29th, and in her 100m breaststroke she moves from 34th to 32.
Sadie Paton, 14 years female, was 32nd in her 50m backstroke, 37th in her 200m individual medley, 44th in her 50m breaststroke, 50th in her 100m breaststroke, 54th in her 100m butterfly, 58th in her 200m freestyle, and 61st in her100m backstroke.
Sadie also had two entries to the rankings, her highest at 29th in her 200m freestyle, and her other at 32nd in her 200m individual medley. She recorded a further four PBs including a no change in the 50m breaststroke, remaining in 28th place. In her 50m backstroke she moved from 30th to 28th, from 31st to 30th in her 100m butterfly, and from 35th to