National Age-Group Championships 2010 Report 

Southampton age-group swimmers began the 2010 National Age-Group Championships in Sheffield on Wednesday 28 July. Here is a report from the very successful championships from our Head Coach Dave Terry in Sheffield.

Day 1

Girls 13yrs 100m Free (Long Course Qualifying Time: 1:02.15)

Katie Fryer - 1:01.60☺pb LC 17th (50m Splits: 30.17 100m 31.43)

Katie got CSSC nationals off to a really good swim. Despite being slow off the block and to the 50m mark, Katie really did work hard down the second 50m and managed to go under 62 secs LC.

Boys 13yrs 200m Breaststroke (Long Course Qualifying Time: 2:45.62)

Bas Burnel - Heat 2:41.41 Ranked 10th going into Final

Bas was just outside his best in the heat and although a little disappointing we worked hard in the interval to get Bas to relax his stroke, knowing that he could lower his time in the final.

FINAL 2:38.47☺pb LC 6th (inside 14yrs National QT=2:40.61) 
(Final Splits: 50m 36.46, 100m 1:16.30, 150m 41.27, 200m 40.90)
   
This was a much better swim than the heats, Bas listened and adhered to his race tactics relaxing the first 50m to go a really good pb and achieve 6th overall best 13year 200m Breaststroke swimmer in GB. Good job Bas.  

Day 2

Boys 12yrs 200m Butterfly (Long Course Qualifying Time: 2:38.09)

Harry Fryer 2:35.95 ☺pb LC 21st
(Splits: 50m 35.29, 100m 38.47 1:13.76, 150m 41.55, 200m 40.64)

This was a good sound start for Harry swimming a 2 second personal best. This is Harry’s first National Age Group Championships.

Ben Stevens - Heat 2:25.83 ☺pb LC Ranked 3rd going into final

A very good swim for Ben knocking over 4 seconds off his best time going into what was a very tight final with 3 boys all going 2:25.

FINAL 2:24.36 ☺pb LC 3rd BRONZE (inside 13yrs National QT = 2:28.19)
(Final Splits: 50m 31.93, 100m 37.00 1:08.93, 150m 37.27 200m 38.16)

What a final and what a great swim from Ben, who really did hold technique and speed throughout the middle sector of the race. Ben improved his personal best today by over 5 seconds and now understands the meaning of pre-race tension! The 100m Butterfly is going to be very, very competitive.

Girls (11-13yrs) 4 x 100m Free Relay (City of Southampton SC Team Qualified in 4:14.15)

Heats
Katie Fryer - 1:01.53 ☺pb  LC 
India Bosley - 1:04.54
Brooke Rumsey - 1:03.64
Hannah Stevens - 1:02.58   
4:12.69 10th into final

The national relays always create so much excitement around the pool, the noise was phenomenal and the standard, well, incredible. Our 4 girls really swam out of their skins, lowering their own team pb by quite a margin. To make national final is superb and really displays CSSC’s depth of quality.

Final
Katie Fryer - 1:01.82 
India Bosley - 1:04.20
Brooke Rumsey - 1:03.58
Hannah Stevens - 1:02.41
4:12.03 10th in the final.

Getting the girls up for this final was so easy, basically they all wanted it! And boy they went for it! To think that only one of these girls has an individual NQT and to achieve 10th best 11-13yrs Girls 4 x 100m free team in GB is amazing. Young Brooke Rumsey should be an inspiration to any of our young swimmers, twelve months ago she joined me with barely a Hampshire QT yet here she was in an national final swimming 1:03.58 and not looking out of place at all. Brooke is one of my best attenders and hardest workers and deserves both this recognition and success. Girls you rocked today!   

Boys 13yrs 1,500m Free (Long Course Qualifying Time: 17:59.14)

Tom Diaper-Fox 16:53.77 ☺pb LC 1st GOLD, National Champion.

Splits:
100m  1:02.97
200m  2:09.59
400m  4:24.04 ☺pb LC 6 secs inside 13yrs National QT
800m  8:57.12 ☺pb LC 6 secs Inside 14yrs National 800m QT=9:03.22
1,500m 16:53.77. 20 secs inside 14yrs National QT=17:14.68

This was undoubtedly a CLASS swim – Anyone who understands distance swimming would agree with me, it is not just the manner in which Tom took this race on from the start or the 1:07. – 1:08 metronome 100m repeats – it was the manner in which he held good technique, high elbow recovery, finger tip entry, powerful 6 beat kick every stroke of every length. This swim had everything guts, determination, pure technique and above all 100% Effort. And remember this - size is not everything…when Tom received his Gold medal on the podium the 2nd & 3rd Placed Boys still towered over him. Maybe some of my swimmers should ask Tom what the ‘Pain Barrier’ really is? As I am sure they don’t know. A swim I am sure Tom & I will remember for a long time.

Day 3

Boys 13yrs 400m Free (Long Course Qualifying Time: 4:31.08)

Heats
Tom Diaper-Fox - 4:28.26 9th going into final

Splits:
100m 1:03.93
200m 2:11.79
300m 1:09.18

This was the first race of the morning and clearly 1,500m free took it’s toll on Tom's 400m this morning. However, having said that, Tom gave the swim his best and still managed to make the final.

400m Free FINAL 4:27.11   7th         
Splits:
100m 1:03.20
200m 2:10.68
300m 1:08.81

Despite his fatigue Tom moved up the rankings in the final 400m free final swimming his best 400m Free outside yesterdays 1,500m where he split at 400m 4:24.04.

Boys 12yrs 200m Backstroke (Long Course Qualifying Time: 2:33.73)

Harry Fryer - 2:38.38 28th
(Splits: 50m 36.67, 100m 39.88 1:16.55, 150m 41.65, 200m 40.19)

Having started well Harry faded to a disappointing time outside the National QT, Harry is clearly a much better swimmer than this.  
 
Boys 14yrs 200m Backstroke (Long Course Qualifying Time: 2:20.59)

Indiana Shanker - 2:18.34☺pb LC 11th
(Splits: 50m 32.72, 100m 35.28 1:08.01, 150m 34.89, 200m 35.14)

Indiana only qualified for Nationals by 7/100ths of a second literally scraping in, having worked very hard to achieve this his first National Championships. Stepping up to the mark Indiana swam a very even race achieving 11th position (1st reserve for the Final) and a very respectable personal best, which is very close to his 15yrs National QT (2:18.04). Indiana is an example of what a swimmer can achieve with hard work and effort just over 2 years ago he was not fast enough to qualifying for Hampshire Championships. Providing Indiana can keep his head down and concentrate on his own swimming training there is nothing to say that he wont make next year’s National Youth Championships.

Day 4

Boys 13yrs 100m Breaststroke (Long Course Qualifying Time: 1:16.48)

Bas Burnel - 1:15.8713th
(Splits: 50m 35.26, 100m 40.61)

People often ask me how hard it is to achieve a National Qualifying time, well in the 13yrs 100m Breaststroke only 15 boys in the whole of GB qualified – to qualifying you really do need to be the ‘Crème da la crème.’  Bas was just outside his best by 2/10s of a second and narrowly missed the final by 3/10ths – the margins for qualifying and finals in this event really are that finite.

Boys 12yrs 100m Butterfly (Long Course Qualifying Time:  1:10.44)

Ben Stevens - Heat 1:06.93 ☺pb LC LC Ranked 3rd going into final

The final as always going to be a tense tight qualifying affair with 4 boys all going into the heat on 1:07 including Ben. Ben swam his heat going out in a fast time of 31.20secs but just faded at the end of the second 50m 35.73 sec.

Final 1:05.06 ☺pb LC 3rd Bronze
Splits: 50m  30.51
100m 34.55 1:05.06 (inside 13yrs National QT 1:06.15)

Well if the heats were tight the Final was amazingly tight, with 3/10th of a second separating the first 6 swimmers this race was the tightest race of the Age Group Championships.  Ben quite rightly was very nervous having been national champion in this event last year the pressure was on him.  Ben hit the 50m in a personal best 30.51 but unbelievably was 4th at this point. On the second 50m Ben broke away, however 4 boys quickly responded and despite Ben’s best efforts he just could not spot the finish. Later he told me of his frustration that it was all down to a fingertip finish. How close was the race well, Adam Milne from Basingstoke came 9th in 1:06, which was faster than Ben’s heat time.  Despite Ben’s nerves and frustration he said this to me ‘I loved it, I was so nervous, it was so tight, I had to work and be at my best, I loved it. I like to race when it is more competitive.’ This is what National Age Groups is all about – racing tough.

Girls 11-13yrs 4 x 200m Free Relay - (Girls Qualified at SER in 9:20.01)

Heat 9:08.91 position 10th going into final
Katie Fryer - 2:13.01 ☺pb  LC (inside individual National 13yrs 200m QT)
Brooke Rumsey - 2:19.62
India Bosley - 2:18.57
Hannah Stevens - 2:17.71

What a swim – the same girls knocked off almost 12 seconds to go into this Final we were ranked so far down the page, yet I knew if we swam to potential we would have a chance of making this national final.  Once again the Girls delivered the goods at the right time. Katie Fryer’s lead off was really good going 2 seconds inside her best and this year’s national 200m individual time, bringing out her very best.

Final 9:07.02 position 8th
Katie Fryer - 2:14.50
Brooke Rumsey - 2:19.08
India Bosley - 2:17.34
Hannah Stevens - 2:16.10

Having made the final we set the challenge of trying to improve our 10th ranking, which was no mean feat. Remembering that only one of these girls had achieved an individual national qualifying time and that the majority of the clubs that were in this final had all four girls individually qualified or were part of ‘conurbation/county/amalgamated teams’ this is one once again is a phenomenal result that both the girls, our club and indeed city should be proud of. I was very proud of you girls…and yes even I joined in the group hug after the race!

Boys 12yrs 800m Free  (Long Course Qualifying Time: 9:54.27)

Harry Fryer - 9:55.90 26th             
Splits:
100m  1:13.96
200m  2:37.08
400m  4:52.99

Harry qualified in this event in 9:45.43 and found himself in Lane 0 as the slowest qualifier for his heat. Although initially starting off well Harry soon found himself right down on the boys in the middle of the pool and this may well have had an effect on Harry’s performance. One thing Harry will take from these National Championships is ‘Experience and the knowledge that you really do have to concentrate throughout your races at nationals.’ I know Harry is much better that this particular swim.

Boys 13yrs 800m Free (Long Course Qualifying Time: 9:25.17)

Tom Diaper-Fox - 8:58.79 3rd Bronze (inside 14yrs National QT =9:03.22)
Splits:
100m  1:03.86
200m  2:11.40
400m  4:27.72

Despite still feeling the effects of fatigue from the 1,500m Free Tom’s recovery this year was far better than last year, mostly due to an improved eating/resting regime. I thought this swim although not as fast as his first 800m in the 1,500m Free earlier in the week, was very good and unlike last year Tom was prepared to race hard to achieve his Bronze Medal. To achieve a Gold & Bronze at the National Age Group Championships is something very few achieve in their swimming careers. Tom is without doubt a very talented boy at distance freestyle and yes probably know so, however he is also a quiet boy who keeps his feet on the ground, has excellent attendance and application to training and my coaching.

Day 5

Boys 12yrs 400m Ind Medley (Long Course Qualifying Time: 5:29.31)

Ben Stevens - 5:25.11 ☺pb LC 20th
Harry Fryer - 5:41.82 30th

Ben Stevens was clearly feeling the effects of the previous evenings 100m Butterfly final where he had swam the race of his life, yet despite the fatigue did manage a small personal best. This was due to a much improved Breaststroke swim, which Ben and I both know needs much work in the new season.

Harry Fryer’s 5:41.82 was disappointing as he has swam 5:29.27 and has demonstrated previously that he has 4 good strokes and is able to put swims together. Prior to the race Harry seemed very happy and bubbly and up for the race, what will be interesting is how Harry comes back into training and competing as he clearly has talent for the sport. For me it is learning from these experiences and moving forward in a positive way.

Boys (11-14yrs) 4 x 100m Medley Relay (Boys qualified at SER in 4:31.14)

BK  Indiana Shanker (14yrs) 1:05.26 ☺pb LC (14yrs National QT)
BR  Bas Burnel (13yrs) 1:14.91
Fly  Ben Stevens (12yrs) 1:07.29
FC  Tom Diaper-Fox  (13yrs) 1:00.65 4:27.11 19th

A very good team swim to conclude City of Southampton Swimming Club’s National Age Group Championships. Interestingly over 2 seconds faster than last year’s 4 x 100m Medley Team despite last year having 2 x 14yrs & 2 x 12yrs in the team. A good lead off from Indiana Shanker in a personal best setting up the team to swim fast. Next year Indiana moves up into the Youth Age Group leaving a spare slot for a Backstroke Swimmer, who is looking to go to nationals and more importantly looking to train hard to enable them to swim fast.

National Age Group Stats:

Well done to ALL our National Age Group swimmers you did yourselves, the City of Southampton SC and ME proud. Once again these are the best National Age Group results and statistics City of Southampton Swimming Club have produced in many years, in fact I cannot remember seeing two CSSC Girls Age Group  Teams making finals. As I have said previously when I first arrived at the club in 2006, we did NOT have a presence at the National Age Group Championships let alone contemplate finalists or podium positions. To achieve 4 medals, is nothing short of amazing considering the size of our club, believe me what with the advent of even more combinations of clubs merging into one club (sometimes selecting clubs the length and breadth of a county) we are a small quality club ‘punching way above our weight.’ Knowing that all our swimmers at the National Age Group Championships are home grown is a fact. The CSSC swimmers here were children that were born in Southampton that many of our rivals have noted, recognised and respected, this is to say the least - most unusual!

The programme here at City of Southampton Swimming Club works, it is without doubt improving each and every season. Next season I will be progressing the programme even further as we have so much scope for improvement and ultimately success. As I have said many, many times before there is plenty of vacancies for those that wish to work hard on the journey to gain such success! Well done to ALL our National Age Group swimmers you did yourselves, the City of Southampton SC and ME proud.

I end this report with one of my favourite quotes that I totally agree with:-

'My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best' - Winston Churchill

David Terry
Head Coach City of Southampton Swimming Club
ASA/UKCC L3 Senior Performance & Development Coach