The 59th English Schools Swimming Association National Relay Championships 2016 at the London Aquatics Centre saw Plymouth College retain their place as one of the country’s ‘big two’ as far as English schools swimming is concerned. One of only two schools to break a National Record and one of only three schools to bring home a gold, Plymouth College were headed by Millfield School but well clear of both Latymer School (third on the medal table) and Mount Kelly (fourth).
In truly dominant style, the Senior Female 200m Freestyle Relay were to take a English Schools Record, originally set in 2014. Isobel Wild, Madelyn Moore, Laura Stephens and Felicity Passon secured the record and the gold having received safe transition from the heats courtesy of Ana-Maria Damjanovska, Tegan Drew, Erin Riordan and Anita M’Cartney.
Two further gold medals were the order of the day as James Watson, Iestyn Cole, Sam Dailley and Kregor Zirk performed immaculately to win the Senior Male 200m Freestyle title, ably assisted by Jaume Sastre Galarzo, Charlie Boden and Rolands Tarhanovs in the heats. The Intermediate age group equivalent of Tai Roche-Walker, Ben Fannon, Joseph Thompson and Hayden Ah Wan were to secure the 200m Freestyle title, with Connor Robinson and Toby Fredericks very much involved to give Plymouth a safe passage through to the finals on this occasion.
Silver medals were aplenty, with Zirk, Watson, Dailley and Cole once again taking a podium position in the Senior Male 200m Medley Relay, with Erico Cuna and Tarhanovs an integral par of the heat process. Fredericks, Thompson, Roche-Walker and Lenel Ah Wan were also silver medal winners, the Intermediate Male 200m Medley relay providing the occasion. This team had been bolstered by Fannon and Salvador Gordo in the heats section. In the Intermediate Female 200m Medley relay, Honey Osrin, Emelie Engels, Duru Tanir and Lucy Armitage were each to collect silver for Plymouth College, with Lana Broekhoven and Alicia Jones having featured strongly in the heats.
Bronze medals were also gratefully received by the travelling contingent as Osrin, Engels, Tanir and Armitage once again stepped up to take the podium place in the Intermediate Female 200m Freestyle relay, Jones once more having been a valuable asset in the heats. Drew, Victoria Russell, Stephens and Passon were bronze medal winners in the Senior Female 200m Medley relay, with Moore and Wild assisting their transit to the final on this occasion.
Plymouth College’s world-renowned swimming programme can be sought via www.plymouthcollege.com
News courtesy of Plymouth Athletics.