News

A team of Warrender's leading swimmers today returned from the ASA National Championships in Liverpool with two medals and eight final swims to their credit. 

Scottish Institute of Sport athlete Lewis Smith was the most successful of the group of nine, picking up two medals and a further three final placed swims.  Lewis fought out a close battle with Loughborough university rival Joe Roebuck in the Men's 400 IM, eventually settling for the silver medal in 4:24.41 (heat 4:23.51) and earlier in the meet collected bronze in the 200 IM behind James Goddard and Roebuck.  A 5th place finish in a fast 400m Freestyle field, 6th in the 200 Butterfly, and 7th in the 200 Backstroke were Lewis's other successful results ensuring that he got second swims from all his entered events.

Eighteen year old Sally Wood also had a very successful meet, making her first ever finals at a British senior level competition.  In the Women's 200 IM, Sally raced hard for a 7th place finish, and then followed this up with 8th place in the 400 IM.  In a busy weekend of action for the Scottish squad member, Sally also recorded lifetime best performances in the 100 Freestyle (59.45), 100 Backstroke (1:07.44) and 400 Freestyle (4:28.26).

In his last competition for Warrender before moving to the University of Stirling, Billy Purnell swam to 5th place behind Lewis in the 400 IM, and also had good showings in the 50 and 100m backstroke events.  Also bound for the University of Stirling, fast improving Ewan Johnston had a busy weekend of swims with particularly good results in the 100 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke and 200 IM.

Seventeen year old Helen McRoberts swam very well to produce a career best time in the 200 Freestyle of 2:07.56, whilst fifteen year old Jennifer Dobson gained valuable experience for the future when doing likewise in the 200 IM (2:26.20).  Promising backstrokers Craig McNally and Callum Shaw showed maturity at the senior level beyond their teenage years when swimming to 1:00.70 and 1:00.88 in the 100m distance, whilst Fiona Booth was unlucky not to make a final finishing an agonising 9th in the Women's 50m Breaststroke.

This was the last meet of the 2007-08 season for Fiona, Billy and Sally, and they will now commence a well deserved break.  For Lewis, a GB cap against Canada and France awaits at the end of the month, while Ewan, Craig, Callum, Jennifer and Helen will all be looking to finish their season on a high in two weeks time at the ASA Youth Championships in Sheffield.