SWIMMING: Charlotte is Dolphin queen
6:00am Saturday 6th October 2012 in Latest News
CHARLOTTE Pitts won six titles as Swindon Dolphin held its club championships at Marlborough College recently.
Pitts was undoubtedly the top female swimmer although a dead heat in the 200m freestyle meant the title was shared with Victoria Jennings.
Jennings took a further two titles outright and was hot on the heels of Pitts in four of her title-winning events particularly in the 400m freestyle, where Pitts set a new championship best.
Kayleigh Bartlett dominated the girls’ breaststroke events, winning senior and junior championships in both the 100m and 200m events.
She was pushed all the way to the finish in the 200m swim by a fine effort from second-placed Lauren Matthews, who had earlier taken the 200m backstroke title.
James Clark also collected six championship wins and set a new championship best in the 200m breaststroke in the final heat of the competition.
Jon Audis was unbeatable in four events and put on a good show by going under the minute in the 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly, while he was just over the 60-second mark in the 100m individual medley. Elsewhere, Liam Jefferies picked up his first ever senior title in the 200m butterfly.
Junior championship winners were Mathew Sambrook (5), Pitts (4), Jennings (2), Adam Coleman, Matthews, Bartlett, Georgina Pitts, Jefferies and Josh Smith. Within the age groups, new best times were set in nine events, three by Clark, three by Craig Harris and one each for Pitts, James Watson and Sambrook.
In the age group medal stakes, top boys were Coleman with eight gold and three silver and Josh Fox with seven gold and two silver.
Top girls were Ella Wardale with eight gold and Millie Jeans with seven gold and three silver.
The mystery medley skins gave additional excitement with the top six-placed male and female swimmers from the 200m individual medley competing over five rounds of 50m elimination races at three-minute intervals.
There were close finishes in both the male and female competition with Clark and Pitts eventually emerging victorious.
In the 25m Learn to Swim events, Elliot Carey won all events in his age group to take four gold, while the championships’ youngest competitor, five-year-old Ben Tait, picked up gold in the 25m breaststroke and bronze in the 25m freestyle.
The top girl swimmer was Ola Tylutka with three gold and one silver. At the other end of the age group scale, 51-year-old Andy Garrett took on eight events, winning gold in three of the 50m masters races.
Although next year’s county, regional and national qualifying times are yet to be confirmed, based on last year’s times it was possible to get an indication of swimmers’ standards.
Looking almost certain to qualify for the county championships for the first time next year were Sriram Iyer, Oscar Pearcey and Maya Grounsell, while Bartlett’s breaststroke times mean she looks likely to make an appearance at the 2013 regional championships.
Last year’s individual national qualifiers, Pitts, Clark, Audis and Harris put in performances that should see them make return journeys to Sheffield next year.
However, with the competition season yet to get fully off the ground, there will be plenty of others hoping to make the next step up to county, regional or national standard.
