SWIMMING: Dozen medals for Princethorpe swimmers

Independent School
Princethorpe swimmersPrincethorpe swimmers
Princethorpe swimmers

Princethorpe Foundation Swimming Team: Caitlin Newport, Jack Dennis, Mollie Dibb, Lucia McCosker- New, Toby Rigg and Eva and India Plevin.

Princethorpe Foundation Swimming team showed their podium potential at last weekend’s Independent Schools’ Association’s National Swimming Championships.

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Held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Aquatics Centre, the seven strong team bagged a total of 12 medals, representing the Midlands. Up against tough competition from six other areas across the country the Princethorpe College and Crackley Hall swimmers didn’t disappoint with every swimmer returning home with a medal.

High hopes came from the youngest competitors; sisters Eva and India Plevin aged 9 and 10 respectively, who momentarily looked overwhelmed by the grandeur of the Olympic setting. Quickly discarding their stage nerves the dynamic sibling duo pulled out a gold, silver and bronze between them with Eva triumphantly taking the Year 4 individual freestyle crown.

Year 7’s Lucia McCosker-New, in superb form, narrowly missed out by five hundredths of a second on the individual freestyle gold. The fingertip distance that makes up such a time difference spurred McCosker-New to recharge her batteries in the Year 7 girls’ 200 metre free relay where she took on the final leg to clinch bronze for the Midlands.

Year 9’s Caitlin Newport also enjoyed a double medal win. A fascinating duel in the Year 9/10 girls’ 100 metre breast stroke between Caitlin and familiar rival Leah Hamilton from London South meant a nail biting finish and a silver medal with just point five of a second separating the two in a final time of 1.20.81. Newport went on to gain a second silver in the medley relay.

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Year 10’s Mollie Dibb enjoyed a double gold in the girls’ free relays, swimming up an age group to join the Year 11s in the penultimate event of the afternoon. Jack Dennis, Year 12, and Toby Rigg, Year 8, landed three relay medals between them proving what valuable team players they are.

Princethorpe College Director of Sport Mr Neil McCollin welcomed home the triumphant team saying: “We’re so impressed with the number of medals won by our swimmers. It’s encouraging to see the team ranging in age from nine to seventeen representing the Foundation in a sport they spend many hours training at.”