Swim Western Isles gang make a splash

Swimmers pictured at the Swimming Club Championships.

In the last weekend in April, Swim Western Isles sent one of their largest group trips, with 17 swimmers attending the Inverness Graded meet. There were some great swims with gold medals for Gina Stewart and Donald Matheson and a bronze for Fraser Macleod, and a fantastic haul of ever improving personal best times.

“This was for many of those who came along their first time swimming competitively on the mainland, and I think they got a taste for it, they all did very well,” said coach Stuart Baird.

The more experienced swimmers have continued to enjoy mainland success Mathew Hanlon took part in the Aberdeen University Long Course meet and achieved a hat-trick of personal bests and a bronze gong.

Mathew, who is also part of the Western Isles Island Games Association squad, will be back in Aberdeen at the end of May joined by Ania Lisowska, Mairi Maclennan, Lucienne Doig, Katie Murray and Isla Budge for the North District Long course meet where the swimmers will be hoping to improve and set times.

Maya Maciver, Isla MacDonald, Erin Smith, James Smith, Isla Budge and Lucienne Doig will be travelling to Nairn at the beginning of June for the Individual medley meet.

The club held their championships on Saturday 20th May in Stornoway the winners in each category were:

10 & under

Girls - Isla Macdonald

Boys - Mark Morrison

11-12

Girls - Mairi Maclennan

Boys - Kyle Macdonald

13-14

Girls - Ania Lisowska

Boys - James Smith

15 & over

Girls - Lucienne Doig

Boys - Matthew Hanlon

There were also some club records set last Saturday. These were as follows:

Isla Macdonald - 10 & under 50 Back, 50 Free and 100 IM. Lucienne Doig - 15/16 200 IM. Matthew Hanlon - 15/16 200 IM 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Fly & 100 Free and overall 200 IM.

The club would like to thank the Transocean Youth and Young Persons Travel scheme who helped with travel costs and Tesco who contributed towards the Inverness trip with water and fruit and also the Co-op and all those who gave generously where the club were bag packing recently.