Derventio eXcel Short Course Open Meet

We had 9 swimmers competing at the Derventio eXcel open meet at the weekend, including BSC's Senior Coach Mike Glossop. We had a total of 23 PB's which is very good to say how early on in the season we are. The coaching team were very impressed with the high level of technique and skills being transferred from training into competition such as fly kicks off every wall, high elbows and great strokes. The positive attitude was also apparant which was pleasing to observe.

Well Done to everyone and lets keep working hard!

Retford Open Meet

We had 22 swimmers representing BSC on Sunday, a total of 70 PB's were achieved from 103 swims! Well done! It was a great day and our new banner was proudly unveiled as well. Thanks must go to Verity, Katy and Nicola for being team managers on poolside. A special mention should be given to Amy and Helen who tied in the fastest reaction time challenge. Results can be found on our home page and through our results section.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day with lots of medals being won.

Update : Midlands

It has been a while since the last post but now the time has come for a little update.

The East Midlands ASA (EMASA) regional championships were very good for the Buxton girls who competed. Emily Allsopp, Jodie Hawksworth, Emma Longden, Abbie Wood and Lucy Wood all competed in over 28 events.

The girls competed as Derventio eXcel at this competition, see their website for more. Results can be found on our website also.

DASA RELAY DAY

This day is possibly THE most exciting day in the competition calendar. Relay Day!

There are air horns, pom poms, face paint and lots of noise!

The "Buxton Babes" were competing in the Womens Open 400m Medlay relay and Womens Open 400m Freestyle relay. The team consited of Abbie Wood, 12, Emma Longden, 14, Lucy Wood, 14 and Chloe Hodson, 15. The ages of these girls reflect how well they have done seeing as they were racing 15/16/17/18 + yrs.

The 400m Medlay : Lucy - backstroke - 1.06.73. Abbie - breaststroke - 1.17.85. Emma - Butterfly - 1.08.47. Chloe - freestyle - 1.07.03. Total time of 4.40.56 which would have qualified them in 3rd position into the final with bronze medal almost hanging around their necks with a possibility of a silver. However, the girls got DQ'd for a takeover mistake. The smallest and youngest team in Derbyshire could have come home with a bronze medal. Unfortunately this was not to be. The girls can come back next year to push for that silver medal they so deserve! Another year older, faster and more experienced.

It is not how far you get knocked down that matters, its how far you jump back up!

The freestyle relay saw Lucy on the first leg in a time of 1.03.75. Emma was next in a time of 1.05.01. Chloe followed in a time of 1.07.58 and Abbie anchored the team in a time of 1.04.20. Total time of 4.20.54. They missed the final by 0.3s! It was a very good race and the girls put their all in to the swim.

Buxton Swimming Club is very proud of your achievements especially because you were competing in the open age relays when we didn't have an open swimmer! Well done!

Derbyshire County Champs - 3rd Weekend

This is the last instalment of reports from the DASA County Champs 2011.

The past three weekends have been exciting with Buxton swimmers continuing to better themselves by breaking PB after PB. Technique and skills look very strong but consistency is the key! We have been working really hard on high elbows, streamlining and underwater kicks and it has showed in competition! Our underwater work has got to be the amongst the best especially when officials comment "your Buxton swimmers are awesome off the walls!". Everyone who swam deserves a big round of applause.

Well done to: Emily Allsopp, Nick Bainbridge, Harri Bowen, Sophie Byrne, Tome Colling, Lily Howard, Chloe Hodson, Amy Johnson, Emma Longden, Ruth Winkless, Abbie Wood and Lucy Wood. Nice job!

The first swimmer in the water this weekend was Amy Johnson kicking us off in style with a 7s PB in the 100 IM with a time of 1.24.74. A strong performance on all four strokes especially the fly and breaststroke with the backstroke identified as an area to improve. Well done!

Abbie Wood was next also int he 100 IM with a 5s PB in a time of 1.12.87 narrowly missing out on the gold medal. Abbie's next event was the 800m fr where she went out like a rocket! Whats more impressive is the fact that she managed to keep the pace up finishing in 9.43.23. A very consistent and gutsy swim. Well done!

Emma Longden competed in the one and only heat of 200m fly and smashed her PB by 12s in a time of 2.31.35. Her 3rd 50 looked tired but she can improve that easily in training, Emma came back on her last 50 as if she had found 5th gear.

Emma's next event was the splash and dash event 50m fr where she just missed her PB in a time of 30.03. Emma's last swim was the 100 IM in a time of 1.12.71 and her splits reflected each stroke well. Well done!

The senior boys captain, Nick Bainbridge, was next in the water in the 100 IM in a time of 1.16.02. Nick has not competed in many events before so this was good to see all four strokes. he followed this up with a PB in the 50 fr with a time of 28.11. Stroke rates were high but the catch position needs to be spot on otherwise his hands will slip through the water. Well done!

The senior girls captain, Chloe Hodson, also competed this weekend, first in the 50 fr with a time of 31.11 which is another PB. Stroke rates were OK but need to be above 50 strokes/min throughout without compromising the catch position. Another PB followed in the 100 IM in a time of 1.20.70. Stroke rate was low on the fr leg but all strokes looked strong. Well done!

And last but in no means least, Lucy Wood. Two PB's. One in the 50 fr in a time of 29.24 and one in the 100 IM in a time of 1.11.47. Throughout these championships it has become paramount to Lucy's development that she needs to seriously work on her underwater kick off the walls. Well Done!

Senior coach Mike Glossop was again in action this weekend in four events.

First the 100 fly in a time of 1.01.76.

Second the 100 IM in a time of 1.06.19.

Third the 400 IM! A very tiring event which he was county champion for two consecutive years. Unfortunately, due to reduced training he had to relinquish his title, finishing 4th (1st in his age group) in a time of 4.55.64.

Finally the 50 fr - the splash and dash event! 26.29.

Derbyshire County Champs - 2nd Weekend

Again Buxton swimmers were smashing PB's during the 2nd weekend of the Derbyshire County Championships! The stamina built up over the past few months really showed and consistency in skills like underwater fly kick, high elbows and racing right up to the wall were very positive signs. Everyone can be very confident now going into the last weekend.

Abbie Wood was BSC's first swimmer of the weekend in the 400m freestyle in a time of 4.46.79.

100m Butterfly in 1.11.46. 200m Breaststroke in 2.45.00. At this point Abbie got upset that she wasn't closer to the older DX girls but should realise that she is only 12 - not 15/16 like the others! And that she is in fact the fastest 11yr old ever at 200m Breaststroke, not only in this country, but in the world!

Her 50m fr time was 31.30. Abbie's 100m fr in a time of 1.05.77 which is looking good for the womens open freestyle relay. 200m Backstroke 2.35.18 (be careful not to over reach). The 200 IM saw Abbie annihilate the field using her breaststroke in a time 2.30.43. Like the first weekend, Abbie needs to justify National QT's by doing the events long course in order to race in the latter heats. Well done!

Next up was Amy Johnson. 100m fly in 1.29.05. Her most aesthetically pleasing event was the 200m breaststroke in a time of 3.21.33. Amy built on the skills demonstrated in the 50m Br and there were no signs of the nodding churchill dog anywhere! ;) brilliant swim. 50 fr 33.69. Amy's 100m fr 1.14.22. 200m Backstroke in 3.12.56. 200 IM 3.04.36. A huge 5 second PB but the backstroke leg needs attention. Well done!

The junior girls captain, Sophie Byrne, was in action again this weekend. 200m Breaststroke 3.21.03. Consistent skills shown throughout are quickly becoming a natural habit which is a very positive response to efforts put in training. Sophie's next swim was the 50m Fr where she felt she didn't swim to her best ability, still a PB in a time of 34.78. Sophie needs to believe in herself more and be confident to race tough. Well done!

Ruth Winkless competed in the 50m Fr and achieved another PB in a time of 41.15. Ruth is starting to show real commitment and drive in training sessions which is starting to show in competitions. She is no longer 'worming' in the water, she is now swimming with a controlled body position. Well done!

Emma Longden bettered her 200m Fr PB by 2 seconds (2.16.45). She had already achieved a regional QT in this event. Her underwater work is very very strong. 100m Fly saw Emma narrowly miss out on a PB 1.10.13 but she has to take the positives into her next few races. Well done!

Lucy Wood knocked over a second off her 100m Backstroke PB (1.06.43). The main weakness that Lucy has to work very hard on in order to take the next big step, is underwater skills off the start and turns. Technically the strokes are very good and effort can not be questioned but its the little things that make a big difference. Well done!

Emily Allsopp had a bee in her bonnet in the 100m backstroke. She won the event in a time of 1.03.08, her first PB for some time. Emily got very close to her 100m Fly PB in her last event in a time of 1.05.44. She is still picking her hands + arms up instead of bringing them round but that seems to be a common theme. Well done!

Harri Bowen was racing again this weekend. The first event was the 200m breaststroke which he completed in 4.42.72. A huge PB that could have been faster if he had followed the black line, its only in training and warm-ups that you swim round the lane. The 50m freestyle saw Harri get a 2s PB (44.82). High elbows were pleasing to see as well as a strong leg kick. Well done!

Tom Colling also competed in the 50m freestyle. Nerves kicked in and got the better of him but can be used a learning curve, disqualified on the start and a poor turn meant that he recorded a time of 38.40. Now he has been in a big competition, he can be more confident and relaxed so he can concentrate on the simple things. The stroke skills looked very smooth and good strong leg kick. Well done.

Senior coach Mike competed in two events over the weekend. 200m fly (2.18.73) and the 200m fr (2.01.53) winning a silver and gold medal respectively. No PB's - Mike has realised that if you don't train enough then 200m+ is very tough.

Derbyshire County Champs - 1st Weekend

During the first weekend of the Derbyshire County Championships, Buxton swimmers were smashing PB's almost every swim! What we have been working on in training showed in every race. Underwater fly kicks of the turns elicited a response from one of the officials "Your Buxton swimmers have awesome underwater fly kick! Really outstanding!" High elbows on freestyle were good. The results reflect how well training is working even though we have very limited training time and only a 20m pool. The coaching team can not wait for the next two weekends!!

Ruth Winkless was the first to compete and earn a PB in the 200m FR with a time of 3.25.00. A very consistent swim and stroke technique has improved immensely.

Amy Johnson was next in the 200m FR with a 9s PB, 2.48.90. Another PB would have been recorded in the 100m BK 1.31.12 but Amy's 2nd turn warranted a disqualification. Unfortunately in the 50 BR, Amy did get DQ'd because her legs were not symmetrical, this is a learning curve for Amy and she must take the positives from the swim, 42.64 would have been over a 2s PB, hands, head and arms looked very consistent and strong throughout the swim.

In the 100m BR Amy had learnt from the 50m and got a whopping 10s PB in a time of 1.31.76! 50BK was the only swim that Amy didn't achieve a PB in a time of 41.55 but followed up with a 2s PB in the 50m Fly winning a silver medal in a time of 35.95.

The junior girls captain, Sophie Byrne, got a huge 4s PB in the 200m FR in a time of 2.40.62. The most pleasing thing about this swim was the use of fly kicks off every wall and the obvious benefits of putting 100% effort into training. Sophie narrowly missed out on another PB in the 100m BK in a time of 1.26.87.

Abbie Wood can only be described as a machine! 8s PB in the 200m FR well inside the Midland qualifying time and narrowly missing the National QT. 3s PB in the 100m BK in a time of 1.15.11, another Midland QT.

14s PB! in the 400m IM well inside Midland QT 5.09.46. Another PB in the 50m BR 38.02.

16s PB! in the 200m Fly in a time of 2.31.31 well inside the Midland QT. In the 100m Br yet another PB was achieved in a time of 1.18.06.

Abbie needs to justify National QT's by doing the events long course in order to race in the latter heats.

Harri Bowen competed in two events. First 50m Bk in a time of 48.40 which is a massive 3.5s PB! Second event was 50m Fly in a time of 57.50 which is just outside his PB. This is only Harri's second open meet and confidence is growing building on his performances at the Long Eaton open meet.

Lily Howard was the first senior Buxton swimmer to race. The 100m Fr saw a 2s PB in a time of 1.15.07. A very positive swim well done! Efforts in training earned that 2s PB but a tighter streamlined position might have earned a 3s PB. Streamlining is very important and requires very little effort.

The senior girls captain, Chloe Hodson, beat her entry time by half a second in a time of 1.08.70. Chloe is well on her way to reaching the times she used to be able to hit, its only a matter of time with the amount of effort to puts into the main sets especially on a Sunday. Her second event was 100m Br in a time of 1.36.34 - her hands need to be together as she kicks.

Emma Longden was next in the water. 100m Fr 1.04.22, over half a second PB. 100m Br 1.21.16 another PB. These two swims were only a second away from a Midland QT. 50m Fly saw a Midland QT in a time of 30.95. The last swim of the weekend saw what Mike regarded as Emma's best swim. He was the one who suggested Emma should swim it and she gained another Midland QT! the 800m Fr - 9.47.49! Emma's 800m was very consistent and the best thing about all of her swims, especially in the 800m, was her underwater work. ALWAYS streamlined and ALWAYS went 4-5m off EVERY wall. This elicited a response from one of the officials "Your Buxton swimmers have awesome underwater fly kick! Really outstanding!"

Lucy Wood got a 3s PB in the 400m IM 5.11.39 which is inside the Midland QT. Lucy then got another 3s PB in the 200m Bk 2.17.65 which is another Midland QT and a National QT! Lucy's closest competitor Evie Keane said "Good job Lucy was here to push me."

Nick Bainbridge competed in the 50fly - 32.13 saw a new PB being recorded. Another new PB recorded was in the 100m Fr, 1.02.53. Nick has never done 100m Fr in a competition so this was a great result for him. Nicks target is to break the minute barrier. His back end speed has to be worked on, a 4s drop off is too much.

Senior coach Mike competed in three events for his club Rykneld SC. 1s PB in the 50 Fly, 27.91 and a silver medal. No PB in the 200m IM but still a gold medal 2.17.59. A silver medal in the 100m Fr 54.79 with a 0.01s PB. Hey - a PB is a PB