At a thrilling third round Arena League gala, BSSC swimmers went head to head with nearest rivals Enfield Swim Squad in an attempt to win the league and gain promotion. Every race was hard fought and many came down to fingertip finishes, but they were second on the night with 187 gala points to Enfield’s 212, whilst nearest rivals Saxon Crown and Broomfield Park tied on 124 gala points each.
The BSSC team battled valiantly in all their races and had top 3 finishes in 25 of the 34 individual events (8 victories) and three 1st, one 2nd and two 3rd placed relay teams. The swimmers getting to the top of the podium were:
- 15/Under: Jacob Hayes 100m Backstroke, Kirsty Neill 100m Butterfly & 100m Breaststroke
- 16/Over: Emma Fields 100m Butterfly, Jago Derrington 100m Backstroke, Lauren Gore 100m Breaststroke, Niamh James 200m IM & 100m Backstroke
Second place in the final round means BSSC finishes a superb second overall in Division 2 of the London league with 50 points, trailing 1st place Enfield by just two points. New season club captains Freya Reilly and Jakey Hayes accepted the second place pennant on behalf of the club. The team now has to wait until the start of next season for final confirmation, but their performances over the three rounds of competition should be enough for promotion to Division 1 in 2023.
Thanks to all swimmers who took part across the three rounds. Thanks also to those who supported the team on the night, in particular coaches Benoit Grattepanche & Joe Collins, Team Managers Sarah Neill & Kat Gore and officials Claire Fields & Steve Burgess.
Round 3 team:
9-11 Yrs:
- Millie Cass, Lois Fields
- Benjamin Palmer, Eddy Cheng, Zackary Haslett Fossey
13/Under:
- Felice Chan, Bobbie Macdonald-Williams
- Dylan Davenport, Elliot Hall, Ethan David-Tostevin
15/Under:
- Imogen Tang, Kirsty Neill
- Brandon Macdonald-Williams, George Taylor, Jacob Hayes
16/Over:
- Emma Fields, Laura Burgess, Lauren Gore, Niamh James
- Callum Cox, Callum Davis, Jago Derrington
