As we move in to a new season of galas, let’s remember the last one!
At the Holywell Summer Sprints held on 6th July it was all hands on deck as a massive team of 60 swimmers, our biggest turn out for many years, cruised in to take the Top Team Trophy by 200 clear points, producing a gigantic list of medal winners showing their hidden depths. A bullion of medals stacked up as 30 golds, 36 silvers, 39 bronze equalling 105 medals in total !!!!!!
10 of the gold medals were won by the team’s ambitious 9 yr olds. They made a huge impact on Holywell’s colossal medal haul.
In the 9 yr old girls age group, Ellie Williams took Runner –Up Top Girl by winning bronze 100m Backstroke, silver 50m Butterfly, silver 50m freestyle, silver 100 IM. Bianca Feliciello was strong in the breaststroke stealing medals in both 50 and 100m distances, silver 50m breaststroke, gold 100m breaststroke, and adding a bronze in the 50m freestyle. Sadie Lee lead the way for a 1-2-3 in 50m freestyle (Sadie, Ellie, Bianca)! She also added a silver to her tally in the 100m freestyle. In total 5 Holywell Girls featured in the top ten 9 yr olds also including Holly Bennett swimming brilliantly taking two golds for 100m Backstroke and 100m butterfly, where she propelled ahead to leave the competition in her wake. Carys Watchorn secured bronze 50m butterfly, bronze 50m backstroke.
For the 9 yr old boys, Alexander Davies had an excellent gala securing Joint Top Boy winning 5 gold’s in the 100m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke and 1 silver in the 100m IM. Team-mate James Fahmy followed up with the runner-up trophy winning gold in the 100m butterfly, bronze 100m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly, 50m breaststroke,.
In the 10 yr old girls age group, Holywell yet again had 2 swimmers in the top ten, Kirsha Nicholson and Abigail Anwyl, Kirsha’s medals came as bronze 50m Butterfly, silver 50m freestyle. Abigail won silver for 100m breaststroke.
The 10 yr old boys, dominated the leader board in all their events culminating with Ethan Williams inevitably taking Top Boy after winning a staggering 7 gold’s and 1 silver. Ethan’s medals were gold 100m Backstroke, gold 50m Butterfly, gold 100m Freestyle, gold 50m breaststroke, gold 100m IM, silver 100m breaststroke, gold 50m, freestyle, gold 50m backstroke. Tomos Williams followed closely behind to take runner-up Top Boy, with medals as silver 100m Backstroke, bronze 50m breaststroke, silver 100 IM, bronze 100m breaststroke, silver 50m freestyle, silver 50m backstroke. Two more of Holywell’s 10 yr old boys featured in the top ten of their age group, one of whom was Rueben Hughes who assisted in a 1-2-3 for Holywell in the 50m freestyle (Ethan, Tomos, Rueben)! Rueben’s medal tally amounted to silver 100m Freestyle, bronze 50m freestyle.
3 of the teams 11 yr old girls finished in the top ten for their age group. Ffion Austin bagged herself gold 100m breaststroke, silver 100m butterfly, whilst Becky Waite won bronze 100m Backstroke, bronze 50m freestyle and Ella Williams took a bronze in 50m backstroke. Declan Wilkes won 2nd runner-up top boy for the 11 yr old boys with a good haul of medals; bronze 100m Freestyle, gold 50m breaststroke, bronze 100m IM, silver 100m Breaststroke, gold 50m freestyle. Harry Owen also had good swims grabbing bronze 100m Backstroke, silver 50m backstroke.
For the 12 yr old girls, Hannah Aspden confidently took runner-up top girl securing silver 50m Butterfly, bronze 50m breaststroke, bronze 100m breaststroke, gold 100m butterfly, silver 50m backstroke, bronze 100 IM. Team-mate Leah Cartwright won bronze 50m Butterfly whilst Isabelle Anwyl took bronze 50m freestyle, silver 100m butterfly, bronze 50m backstroke. Scott Wolley put in some strong swims for the 12 yr old boys winning bronze in 100m Backstroke, bronze 100m Freestyle, bronze 100m IM, silver 50m freestyle, bronze 50m backstroke.
Holywells seniors put in their fair share of good performances making their presence felt with Lucy Haigh, 14 taking Top Girl for her age group winning 3 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. Jennifer MacDonald followed in the runners-up position bagging 4 golds and 1 bronze. For the 13 yr old girls Faye Davies Moore swiped silver 50m Butterfly, bronze 50m breaststroke. Sioned Brooke-Jones, 14 getting stronger throughout the season gave some solid swims winning bronze 100m Backstroke, bronze 50m freestyle, silver 50m backstroke. Bethan Denver, 14 enjoyed racing her favourite stroke gaining bronze 50m breaststroke and a silver 100m breaststroke. For the 14 yr old boys Jamie Waite took Runner-Up Top Boy winning 3 silvers and 2 bronze, whilst training partner Sean Barnard, 14 secured 2nd runner-up also winning 3 silvers and 2 bronze. In the 15 and over age group performances remained consistent with Fiona McDonald, 15 freezing out the competition to take joint runner up top girl with 1 silver and 2 bronze. Bethan Paine, 16 dominated the backstroke winning gold in both distances and adding a silver in 50m freestyle. Hannah Jones, 15 also held the medals for her strongest stroke winning gold for100m butterfly, and 100 IM and bronze for 50m butterfly. Ben Jones, 17 swam well entering into the tough open age group winning silver in the 50m backstroke.
Head Coach Terry Boardman said “ I was impressed with the whole event, the galas at Holywell are run very well, the backroom staff, time keepers, officials, and all the volunteers were well organised”.
“Our swimmers, coaches and team managers again and again show fantastic team spirit, having 60 swimmers from the same team at any event is amazing. They cheered each other on all day. Some of the younger swimmers were a little nervous but were well looked after by the team managers and older swimmers. It was a great day, I was very proud of everyone”