What an exciting end to the Junior League competition this year!

 

The heats were action-packed, with each and every member of the GAW team swimming some fantastic races.  Takeovers timed to perfection, super safe swims securing those all-important points and the closest of cannons eliciting uninhibited roars from the crowd.

 

The final was no exception.

 

Swimming for the 9 year olds we had Aria, Oscar L, Finn and Austin.  Aria was never out of the pool, swimming all the individual events, joining the boys for the relays and doing a fantastic job swimming up to help out the 10 year old girls – amazing.  Finn and Oscar continued to wow, putting in some show-stopping performances, and Austin's Junior League debut was a baptism of fire, with all three boys swimming up in the 10 year old boys individual races – they should be very proud of themselves.

 

For the 10 year olds, let's hear it for Anya, Sophie and Louise.  They continued their domination of the 10 year old girls category.  Anya's sprint finish (definitely no breathing in the red zone) was superb, Louise's fly impeccable and Sophie's freestyle immaculate.  Sophie and Louise swam up expertly to complete the 11 year old relay teams and Anya swam her individual events to perfection.  

 

And on to the 11 year olds… Roxie, Hattie, Katie, Eddie, Oscar Fe, Max and Ethan.  Well, what can I say?  Roxie was like a rocket in her individual breaststroke – what glide!  Hattie, a Junior League pro, and didn’t her experience show – cool, calm, collected.  Katie, new to Junior League, but you'd never have guessed it to see her swim.  Max's freestyle relay leg was as rapid as it gets.  Ethan was pure energy in the pool.  Oscar Fe's fly and free, exceptional.  Eddie, as well as putting in some storming performances in his own age group, swam up for the 12 year olds, with outstanding effort in the last leg of the freestyle relay (so exciting).

 

Finally, the 12 year olds, a healthy mix of experience (in Tia, Imogen, Madison, Will and Aodan) and relatively new blood (in Martha, Mia and Ronan)!  Almost certainly their last Junior League as competitors, and they went out with a bang.  Tia was outstanding as ever – beautiful dives and under water.  Madison's backstroke was a dream.  What a dive from Mia – and displaying a gorgeous freestyle technique. Martha… was… speed.  Imogen's races, sharing the individual events with Tia, incredible.  Ronan, a much needed 12 year old boy – and what a 12 year old boy, his breaststroke is fast!  Aodan was magnificent in both his individual events and relays.  Will was a class act.

 

And then the cannon happened.  What a spectacle.  Aria kicked off "the Greatest Show" with a blinding first leg, Oscar L matched it, Louise swam a turbo-charged third leg, Austin (swimming up) more than held his own, Roxie – smooth and deceptively quick, Eddie – also very fast, Tia went like Billy-o, and Will finished it off in his typically speedy fashion.  Third place (subject to any DQs for or against us).

 

In the end, Chester le Street were the victors and we came fourth, with a one point lead over Derwentside.  But I like to think the placing isn't the thing that matters most.  Junior League is about team spirit, experience-gaining and, most of all, fun – and we had all of that in abundance, not just in the final, but throughout the whole of the competition.

 

And on that note, we must not forget for one moment: Dotty, Olivia, Oscar Fo, Emily, Lucy, Prim and Erin, whose spectacular performances in the heats helped to secure our third place ranking going into the final.

 

Good job guys.