Alnwick pupils in swimming finals

The National Finals, run by the English Schools’ Swimming Association (ESSA), were held at the Olympic Park - the venue for swimming at the 2012 Olympic Games.

It was the 64th year of the event which saw hundreds of schools compete against each other to try and make it through the rigorous qualifying rounds, to then be invited to be part of the top 30 schools in the country.

The two teams were made up of four inter-girls and four senior-boys - Harriet, Issy, Mia, Molly, Hayden, Gregor, Oliver and Ed. The students ranged from year 9 up to year 13.

Both teams successfully qualified for the freestyle relay.

The inter-girls were the first team to throw down their best effort in heat one. Entering 28th out of 30, they knew it would be a tough race. The girls were confident in their ability with Mia giving them a strong start. They saw a new personal best with Issy storming home as the anchor. The girls moved up the ranking, a total of 8 places, finishing 20th in the country with individual best times. This was a collective team PB performance.

The Senior Boys’ team entered 22nd out of the 30 schools, representing Northumberland against the best of the best. The boys were given an outside lane in heat two of three and managed to hold their own.

Hayden set the bar, showcasing his talent during his first time in a 50m pool, allowing all four boys to match the energy and succeed. The senior boys finished 20th out of 30, moving up a total of two places in the National rankings.

A school spokesman said: “Although the eight students were representing DCHS, recognition must also go to their home swimming club of Alnwick Dolphins. All of the students work extremely hard within the Dolphins. They train early mornings and multiple evenings and this dedication ensures they all continually improve their swimming performance, as well as balancing school work. They were all given a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete at the iconic Olympic pool, one we hope they carry for a lifetime.”