Junior swimmers' medal haul (From Barry And District News)

Junior swimmers' medal haul

AT THE third Cardiff and the Vale Area Junior Champion-ships held at Barry Leisure Centre on Saturday, May 1, Barry Amateur Swimming Club, swimming against Fontygary, Penarth and the City of Cardiff with a mixed team of 38 swimmers, excelled themselves and swam away with 19 medals.

The nine-year-old 4 x 25 metre individual medley race saw Balazs Vincze, Owain Roberts and Michael Crompton pulling off a magnificent hat trick for BASC.

Balazs then went on to win the boys' 25-metre butterfly with tremendous style in a time of 22.83 seconds, the 50m breaststroke in 56.58, just .06 of a second in front of the City of Cardiff swimmer. Just to make sure of his place in the record book, the next race to fall was the 50m freestyle in a time of 41.09 and finally, to add a fifth medal to his tally, Balazs gained a third place in the 50m backstroke.

In the meantime, team members Michael Crompton chalked up two thirds in the 25m butterfly and the 50m breaststroke, Owain Roberts took a third place in the 50m freestyle. Ryan Looker, a veteran swimmer at the age of 12, swam home to a third place in the boys' 50m butterfly.

The medal count for the girls was just as impressive with Rebecca McTavish gaining second places in the nine-year-old 4 x 25m girls' individual medley, the 50m backstroke, the 25m butterfly and to round it all off, the 50m freestyle, Hannah Yarr took the bronze in this race notching up the count for Barry. Hannah also gained a third place in the 50m backstroke. The girls nine-year-old 50m breaststroke saw Jessica Thomas battling it out to gain a well-deserved second place.

Swimming in the older age group of 12 years, Lowri Phillips gained a bronze in the 50m butterfly. Niall Pratt deserves a mention for swimming so well all day as do Samantha Richards and George Crowther. The Barry team swam extremely well and were commended on their behaviour and sportsmanship and on their performance in a very successful championship.