GALA REPORT: London Graded League gala hosted by Brent Dolphins SC, 24 March 2007

The Brent-hosted London Graded League gala was a great night for Clissold Swim Team. We travelled to the newly opened Willesden Green leisure centre and won the first competitive gala to be held there. The night went well right from the first race with Clissold Swimmers going well and not only swimming fast but concentrating and improving takeovers, starts and turns. As usual we had new competitive swimmers at their first gala who not only swam well but also achieved new Personal Bests (PBs). There were some thrilling swims with Clissold swimmers getting the gallery on their feet with several narrow and hard-contested wins.

Congratulations to Daniel Morgan-Melville, Billie Myers, Sam Gibbs and Lottie Macdonald who were all swimming in their first gala.

Thanks to Ann Towndrow and Kate Cornwall Jones for time-keeping and team management and to Alina Budny for being at the start-block to calm nerves . And thanks to the parents and Clissold supporters who almost blew the roof off the building with Clissold's trademark cheering.

We won the gala with 131 points. 25 new Personal Bests were achieved, Across all events Clissold swimmers won 16 first places, 10 second places and 7 third places.

final score for Clissold SC 131 points

across all events swimmers achieved

• 25 personal bests
• 16 first places
• 10 second places
• 7 third places

PERSONAL BESTS

• Kieran Battistella: 50 metre and 25 metre backstroke
• Leyla Carrier-Solomon 25 metre breaststroke
• Tao Geoghan Hart: 25 metre backstroke and 25 metre freestyle
• Matilda Cornwall: Jones 100 metre freestyle
• Joe Towndrow: 100 metre freestyle
• Katherine Miller-Brunton: 50 metre freestyle and 25 metre backstroke
• Ewan Beatty: 50 metre freestyle
• Inez Laing Ferrers: 50 metre backstroke
• Ciaran Potter: 50 metre backstroke
• Tom Walker Trew: 25 metre breaststroke
• Loulou Erwin: 25 metre butterfly 50 metre breaststroke
• James KInch: 25 metre butterfly
• Daniel Morgan-Melville: 50 metre freestyle Daniel M-M 50 metre butterfly
• Dan Mason: 50 metre breast and 100 metre breaststroke
• Charlotte McVeigh: 100 metre breaststroke
• Millie McNeill: 25 metre freestyle
• Rene Auty: 25 metre freestyle
• Safaa Usmani: 25 metre backstroke

INDIVIDUAL FIRST PLACES

• Katherine Miller Brunton: 50 metre freestyle and 25 metre backstroke
• Leyla Carrier-Solomon: 25 metre breaststroke
• Inez Laing Ferrers: 50 metre backstroke
• Charlotte Barbour Condini: and 50 metre breaststroke
• Charlotte McVeigh: 100 metre breaststroke
• Rene Auty: 25 metre freestyle
• Safaa Usmani: 25 metre freestyle

INDIVIDUAL SECOND PLACES

• Kieran Battistella: 50 metre backstroke
• Tao Geoghan Hart: 25 metre backstroke
• Joe Towndrow: 100 metre freestyle
• James Kinch: 25 metre butterfly
• Inez Laing Ferrers: 25 metre freestyle
• James Kinch: 50 metre breaststroke
• Dan Mason: 100 breaststroke

INDIVIDUAL THIRD PLACES

• Billie Myers: 25 metre breaststroke
• Tom Walker Trew: 25 metre breaststroke
• Demera Irwin Lewis: 50 metre freestyle and 50 metre backstroke
• Tao Geoghan Hart: 25 metre freestyle
• Max Orange: 25 metre backstroke

RELAYS

• first in 7
• second in 4
• third in 1

FIRST PLACE

• Tao, Ewan B, Rene, James
• Ciaran P, Tao, Arthur, James, Sam, Ewan, Daniel M-M, Dan
• Joe - back, Max O - brst, Kieran B - fly, Fred - F/S
• Joe, Ewan B, Fred, Kieran B
• Ciaran P - back, Tom W-T - brst, Dan - fly, Rene - F/S

GIRLS

• Leyla - back, Loulou - brst, Charlotte McV - fly, Katherine M-B - F/S
• Demera, Billie, Lottie, Matilda

SECOND PLACES: 4

• Tao, Ewan B, Rene, James
• Dan, Arthur, Max O, Kieran B

GIRLS

• Inez, Charlotte B-C, Hannah M-B, Demera
• Matilda - back, Millie - brst, Inez - fly, Charlotte McV - F/S

THIRD PLACES 1

• Tom W-T, Sam, Fred, Daniel M-M

UPGRADES & "SPEEDING TICKETS"

we had 5 "upgrades" - swimmers who excelled and swam too fast for the events in which they swam. This is great as it shows those swimmers are improving and exceeding coaches expectations and they are to be congratulated for this.

they were:

• Ewan Beatty in the 50 metre freestyle
• Loulou Erwin in the 50 metre breaststroke and the 25 metre butterfly
• Daniel Morgan Melville in the 50 metre freestyle
• Dan Mason in the 50 metre breaststroke
• Kieran Battistella in the 25 metre backstroke