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Millfield 3rd in Arena National Swimming League
Millfield matched their performance of last year in finishing third in Sunday's Arena National Swimming League Final at Ponds Forge, Sheffield. In a competition including the country's top clubs from major cities, Millfield narrowly missed out on overhauling Stockport Metro for second, behind runaway winners Plymouth Leander. For a school, this must be seen as an outstanding achievement - to take on Clubs and Olympians and run them so close. Credit must go to the coaching team of Helen Gouldy, Lin Skirton, Emma Collings, Ed Sinclair, Rob Tweddle and Head Coach Jol Finck.
The Arena League tests clubs' depth from Under 11's to Open Ages', and Millfield got off to a slow start as the relatively small catchment of the Prep School came up against the likes of Liverpool, Stockport, Camden and Plymouth in the younger years. But as the initial round of relays progressed from under 11's through 13's, 15s and on to Open Age, Millfield's depth was demonstrated with medals to 6 of the initial 8 teams.
Millfield went on to finish second in the overall relay challenge, pipped by a total of just 59 seconds by Plymouth Leander. And when Tom Gabb won the Boys' 10-11 years 50m Backstroke in 33.03 sec, Millfield were up to second overall after 12 of the 50 events.
Unfortunately, further podiums remained thin in the water for a while: Rio Kurihara came second in the Boys' 13/U 100m Breaststroke (1:12.38 min) and Mikey Thomson came third in the Boys' 15/U 100m Backstroke (1:03.00 min). But by half way Millfield had slipped to fourth overall.
The tide turned when James Disney-May (Due to finish Millfield this academic year and bound for a swimming scholarship at the Auburn University, USA) seized third in the Men's Open 100m Backstroke (59.15 sec), starting a run of 8 podiums in 9 events: Lydia Lavallin (2nd Girls' 10-11 50m Breaststroke: 39.91), Tom Gabb (3rd Boys' 10-11 50m Breaststroke: 40.66), Rio Kurihara (2nd Boys' 13/U 100m Butterfly: 63.63), Amelia Maughan (1st Girls 15/U 100m Freestyle: 57.41), Tom Bielich (3rd Boys' 15/U 100m Freestyle: 55.07), Georgia Holderness (1st Ladies' Open 100m Breaststroke: 71.77), and Tom Litten (2nd Men's Open 100m Breaststroke: 66.88).
Amelia Maughan kept up the pace of podiums with another win in the Girls' 13/U 100m Freestyle, this time with a meet record of 57.72 sec, and with an earlier meet of 26.43 sec leading off the Girls' 15/U 4x50m Freestyle Relay, Amelia went on to be named as U15 Girls' Swimmer of the meet.
Pip Cochran (2nd Girls' 15/U 100m Breaststroke: 75.08) and James Disney-May (3rd Men's Open 100m Freestyle: 51.98) added further individual medals to draw Millfield up to third overall, but with just the final round of 8 Relays to go, Stockport Metro held a buffer of 24 points for second place.
Cheered on by dozens of Millfield parents and their own chant from poolside, Millfield surged to take two wins and a second in the relays, closing on Stockport with every race. But when the National Intensive Training Centre Club turned to their Olympians James Goddard and David Carry, Millfield ultimately came up 4 points short.
The Millfield experience was perhaps best illustrated by the team's final victory - setting another meet record of 2:42.67 min in the Ladies' Open 6x50m Freestyle Relay - and demonstrating the development pathway from the relatively inexperienced and lesser trained youngsters to the dominant relay in the League: Helping young people get better.
Photo (L to R)
Top: Amelia Maughan, Tristan Slater, Ross McAuliffe.
Middle: Sophie Allin, Rio Kurihara.
Bottom: Sammy Coates, Lydia Lavallin.
