British Gas 2010 BAGCAT (50m) Championships

Over the Weekends of the 4th, 5th and 11th, 12th of June Hartlepool SC swimmers competed in the British Gas ASANER BAGCAT Championships The event took place in the impressive Ponds Forge International Sports Centre Sheffield

This is the last chance for many swimmers to claim their National qualifying times enabling them to enter the British Age group championships. The event consists of heats with the top ten in each age group contesting the final.

Head Coach Ian Bullock took seven of his young swimmers to compete at the championships over the two weekends.

In the 11yrs age group Beth Turner Competed in the 200m Breaststroke, 200m Backstroke and the 400m Freestyle where she picked up a new Personal Best time (PB).

In the Boys 11yrs age group Callum Brass swam in the 100m Breaststroke, 100m and the 400m Individual Medley, 100m Backstroke, 200m Freestyle and the 200m Individual Medley.  He made six finals; the 200m Breaststroke, the 100m and the 200m Butterfly; Callum went on to make PB’s in his other three finals, the 200m Backstroke, the 100m and the 400m Freestyle. Timothy Berry swam in the 200m Individual Medley, 400m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, 100m and 200m Breaststroke, 200m Butterfly making a new PB.  He made the Final in the 100m Freestyle along with a new PB.

In the 13yrs Girls age group Abbie Devonshire had two top twenty finishes in the 100m and the 200m Backstroke events.  In the boys 13yrs age group Callan Torka swam in the 200m Butterfly and the 200m Individual Medley. He made the final in the 100m Freestyle making a new PB. Callan made two new PB’s in the 100m Butterfly one in the heat and again in the final.

In the 14yrs age group Sam McMorris swam in the 200m Butterfly event where he narrowly missed a top fifteen position.  Oliver Stoker competed in the 200m Freestyle and the 400m Freestyle events.

Head Coach Ian Bullock commented it’s always hard for young swimmers when they train very hard and automatically expect to be picking up medals in their chosen events.  Every swimmer who goes to a competition should feel that way that’s normal. If they didn’t strive to be the best or do well in every swimming meet then they shouldn’t compete and their wasting mine and their own time.  Sometimes it doesn’t work out the way they have planned for a variety of reasons.  My squad have come away from this competition with more swimming knowledge and more competition experience than before they came here.  This is one of an athlete’s learning curves that sometimes you can’t win everything and you have to take the rough with the smooth. However I would still like to say I’m very proud of them all. 

Press release HASC 43 – 10th August 2011
Issued by Marley Jackson, 01642 735303, 01429 428738 or 07817263803