News

16 year old Dan Wallace led the way for Warrender at the recent British Gas British Championships in Sheffield. The British Championships were held in Sheffield from the 29 March – 3 April, and were held as the qualification trials for selection to the GB European Junior Team, GB European Senior Team and English Commonwealth Games Team.
Wallace, vying for a place on the GB European Junior Championship Team, competed in the 200m and 400m Individual Medley events as well as the 200m Breaststroke.

The 400m Individual Medley took place on Day 4 of the Championships, where Wallace dropped his time to a new lifetime best of 4:31.40, placing him 16th overall and 3rd in the 1992/1993 age group aiming to qualify for the European Junior Championships. Wallace was back in the pool the following day for his pet event, the 200 I.M. This was an outstanding swim, finishing 11th overall in a new personal best and 16 year old Scottish Record time of 2:05.88. Wallace had to wait until after he swam his last event, the 200m Breaststroke (2:23.26) to confirm that he had been selected for the European Junior team. This is a fantastic achievement for any swimmer, but even more so for Wallace who will be one of the youngest swimmers on the team. The European Junior Championships take place in Helsinki, Finland from the 14th July.

Another swimmer who had a solid week of swimming, cementing his place in the senior rankings in Britain, was 17 year old Scottish Institute of Sport athlete, Craig McNally. McNally progressed to the semi finals of both the 50m and 100m Backstroke events, where he finished 19th (0:27.45) and 13th (0:57.82) respectively. McNally’s heat swim of the 50m Backstroke (0:27.30) and his semi final swim of the 100m Backstroke were both 17 year old Scottish Records. McNally also swam the 200m Backstroke, finishing 16th in 2:05.49, his second best time ever, and his fastest time in the post-shiny-suit era.
Craig Benson followed in his team mate’s footsteps, setting a 15 year old Scottish Record in a 50m Breaststroke time trial held on Day 2 of the Championships. His time of 0:30.34 was a personal best time, and only .09 outside the British Record. Benson also competed in the 100m Breaststroke event and as one of the youngest swimmers in the meet, finishing just outside the semi finals in 25th place, on a time of 1:06.04. On the last day of the meet, Benson swam to a season best time of 2:25.64, to finish 23rd overall in the 200m Breaststroke.

Other Warrender Baths Club athletes in action at the meet included Lewis Smith (Stirling ITC), who proceeded to the finals in the 200m Butterfly and 200m and 400m Individual Medley events, finishing 7th, 7th and 4th respectively. Smith’s main focus is qualifying for Scotland’s Commonwealth Games Team, and his time of 4:19.77 is inside the qualifying time set by Scotland, and ranks him as the fastest Scot going into the Scottish Commonwealth Games Trials later in the year.
Sean Fraser (Manchester’s Disability High Performance Squad) took gold on the final night of competition in the multi-disability 100m Freestyle event, stopping the clock in 1:02.49. Fraser also swam the 100m Backstroke event.
Fiona Donnelly (Nova Centurion), Scottish, and a member of Warrender, had a very busy and successful week of swimming, also securing her place on the European Junior Team after swimming a fantastic 400m Freestyle in a lifetime best time of 4:20.10. Ollie Bitowt (Lincoln Vulcan’s), pulling on his red cap later this week at the Scottish Age Group Championships, took part in the 200m Backstroke, 400m Freestyle and 400m Individual Medley events.

Wallace, McNally, Benson and Bitowt have now returned to Edinburgh where they will join the 52 member team who are now finalising their preparations for the Scottish Age Group Championships which take place in Glasgow from the 8-12 April. Good luck to everyone involved.