Guernsey Swimming Club’s Annual Junior Meet.
Guernsey’s young swimmers gained valuable experience at the recent Annual Junior Meet.
The event saw more than 80 swimmers from Guernsey and Jersey’s clubs, competing at St. Sampson’s High School, including some children as young as eight swimming in a competition for the first time with a number of swimmers who achieved personal bests (PBs).
Walkers Tigers Joe Storey broke the only record of the day taking 0.23 seconds off the 11 years boys 50m breaststroke record which was previously held by Miles Munro and has stood for 9 years in a time of 42.59. Joe also won the Backstroke, Freestyle, Butterfly and IM a clean sweep and some outstanding swims. Fellow team mate Joe Swart also achieved a great PB in the boys 10 year olds 50 metre butterfly winning the gold medal with a time of 38.79 seconds, just 49 milliseconds off the meet’s record. He also had a fantastic gala achieving more golds, including the 50 metre freestyle with another time within milliseconds of the record, 100 meter IM and the backstroke.
Jersey swimmers swam particularly well in the boys’ category – which included Fillip Nowaki from Jersey Swimming Club. Strong swims also came from, Xander Graham from Beau Sejour Barracudas, and Guernsey Swimming Club’s captain Luke Le Cras who was a finalist in all of his age group events, winning three silvers and a bronze. All swimmers making the finals earned valuable points for their respective teams and taking home individual medals.
Notably, the Guernsey girls swam extremely well also, especially 11 year olds Beau Sejour Barracudas Oriana Wheeler and Guernsey Swimming Club Abigail Stephens who, in the finals, competed against one another in the girls’ 100 metre Individual Medley. All swimmers were very close on the first 25 metres then during the last 50 metres, Oriana Wheeler gradually crept in front for the gold. Guernsey Swimming Club’s captain Abigail Stephens who stayed close behind, winning her fight for the silver against Barracuda’s Maddie Russell.
Oriana also won the Butterfly, with Abigail taking the Backstroke, Jemma Green the Freestyle and Zoe Carre the Breaststroke. 10 year old Gabriella Wilcox from Beau Sejour Barracudas has a clean sweep winning all 5 events in her age group and fellow cub member 9 year old Frankie Savident won the freestyle, Butterfly, IM and Backstroke with Jersey swimming club’s Amber Smith taking the Breastroke.
All the swimmers have said what an amazing day they had, whether or not they reached the finals. The excitement was deafening when it came to the relays as the tension built, the Barracudas showed their strength and depth winning all three relays. Astoundingly, the cheers got louder after every race, as if this gala were the Olympics! As shown in the first relay, with the fight between Walkers Tigers’ and Guernsey Swimming Club with Jersey beating them by one millisecond after the outstanding leg by Abigail Stephens.
The Annual Junior meet is a team event which was won over all Beau Sejour Barracudas with a massive point total of 299 to retain the Baliff’s Cup.
This brilliant day was held with thanks to Guernsey Swimming Club and, in particular, their incredible sponsor Deloitte, who are responsible for the Annual Junior Meet.
Report written by Eileen Chapman