CASA Swimmers Qualify for 2009 National
Championships
The swimming starlets of Cleethorpes
& Scunthorpe Aquatics (CASA) have once again confirmed their prowess in the
pool with nine swimmers qualifying for the ASA National Age Group and Youth Championships
this year in a total of twenty events.
The National Championships represent
the pinnacle of competitive swimming for the younger swimmers and the
qualifying times are extremely difficult to achieve. This is demonstrated by
the fact that many big city clubs will only have one or two swimmers competing
at the Championships and only a handle of the larger performance swimming
programmes in the UK will have more swimmers represented. In most events only
around 20 swimmers from the whole of the UK have achieved the strict qualifying
times and in some events there are less than 10.
Chief Coach Dan Higgon is delighted
that so many swimmers have qualified and said “I am really proud about our
achievements in getting nine swimmers to Nationals. This is my first season as
Chief Coach and to have this many swimmers competing is a massive achievement.
The swimmers have done really well in adjusting to a change in Coach and
hopefully this is a stepping stone to even greater things to come in the future
for both the club and the swimmers.”
CASA swimmers that have qualified for
individual events are:
Leah
Altoft,
14 years - (200 & 400 IM, 100 & 200 Breast, 100 Fly)
Callum
Gladding,
12 years - (200 Fly, 800 Free)
Josh
Jones,
12 years - (200& 400IM, 200 Breast, 400,800 & 1500 Free)
Sophie
Long,
13 years - (200 & 1500 Free)
Thomas
Paine,
15 years - (800 Free)
Oliver
Webster,
12 years - (400IM, 800 & 1500 Free)
In addition a CASA team have qualified
for the 4 x 200m 11 – 13 years girls freestyle relay. This is the first time in
the club’s history that a relay team has represented the club at Nationals
again showing the progress that has been made.
The team comprises of:
Georgia
Cragg
(12)
Zoe
Lansley-Hogg (13)
Sophie
Long
(13)
Natalie
Sharman
(13)
The ASA National Age Group Championships
are due to be held 22nd – 26th July and the ASA National
Youth Championships 28th July – 2nd August at Ponds Forge
International Swimming Centre in Sheffield. The Age Group Championships are for
girls aged 11 – 13 years and boys aged 11 – 14 years. The Youth Championships
are for girls age 14 – 17 years and boys 14 – 18 years. Tickets are available
for these championships either via the British Swimming website or on the door
at Ponds Forge and CASA would be delighted to have your support.
A full report on the results of the
Championships will follow.