Photo - Eva, Holly and Megan

By Mr Castro (Head of Swimming)

During April and May, our swimmers competed in Regional Championships in both the East and South East Regions. These championships are held in 50m pools, so the racing is different from the 25m format our swimmers usually compete in. The championships cover a full programme of events for swimmers to compete in, ranging from the long-distance events, 1500m and 800m freestyle, right down to the fastest event, the 50m freestyle. The other strokes race over 200m, 100m, and 50m, with 200m and 400m medleys as well as relays.

Holly Katasi (Year 9) was racing in the South East Region, while Lucy Young (Upper Sixth), Eloise Cole (Year 11), Megan Barnicoat (Year 8), and Eva Jackson (Year 7) were racing in the East Region. The students were all representing their own swimming clubs: City of Milton Keynes, Bedford Swim Squad, and Flitwick.

Our swimmers qualified for 36 individual events between them at the championships and performed strongly across their events. In the 16-year-old age group, Eloise Cole made the final in each of her eight events and claimed seven medals: golds in the 50m and 100m butterfly, silvers in the 50m freestyle, 50m and 100m backstroke, and 200m butterfly, and bronze in the 100m freestyle. Megan Barnicoat, swimming in the 13-year-old age group, claimed a golden double in the 13-year-old long-distance events, winning both the 800m and 1500m freestyle. She also went on to win silver in the 400m freestyle, qualified for the final of the 200m freestyle, and claimed a second silver. Eva Jackson also qualified for the 11 & 12-year-old 50m butterfly final, finishing 6th.