• LETTER FROM THE EDITOR, FIONA DONALD
• DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
• LETTER FROM HEAD COACH, FIONA ANDERSON
• THE CLUB SHOP
• AND FINALLY...

It has been a busy January. After only a weeks training post Christmas we were straight back into competitions including the final round of East Districts, one of the biggest in the annual swim calendar. Full reports from the coaches below.

After success at Edinburgh Schools in November, Scarlett Donald, Ines Donald, Adele McDaid, Stuart Crawford, Joe Penman, Angus Allison and Cameron Alexander made it through to the Scottish Schools Finals in the Commonwealth Pool at Tollcross in Glasgow this weekend. Congratulations to Stuart who came home with a medal and commiserations to Eve Lovell, Charlotte Drainer, Felix Hale and Rebecca O'Donnell who got medals at Edinburgh Schools but didn't get a swim in the finals.

Please try to come to the annual Inverleith Club dance on Saturday 27 February at Heriots Rugby Club. It's the one opportunity everyone has to get a chance to meet each other with clothes on and without wet hair!  All swimmers go free so we want as many of them as possible to be there - particularly those who came 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their age groups at the Club Championships in December as they will be presented with trophies and medals. If you're not sure the results are on the website. 

Doors open at 7.30pm. Please arrive by 8pm so that you don't miss the presentation. It will be followed by a buffet with food which will appeal to both adults and kids and a disco, primarily dominated by the swimmers. It's a really fun night and the kids love it. David is usually selling tickets after training and is trying to catch parents who collect at 9pm to ensure they don't miss out. If you'd like a ticket and haven't been offered one yet please just ask. It's £10/adult and £5/children who aren't club members.



 

PLEASE TAKE A NOTE OF THESE IMPORTANT DATES REGARDING COMPETITIONS THIS TERM (your coach will tell you if you are eligible / if they would like you to enter)

FORTHCOMING EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS
 
Bellshill Sharks Meet 13/14 February
Carnegie Spring Meet 20/21 February
ELST Novice Meet 28 February (day after Club dance!)
Lothian Leagues Round 1 5 March
Edinburgh International Meet 13 March
Portobello Mad March Meet 19/20 March
Scottish National Age Groups (SNAGS) 30 March - 3 April
Lothian Leagues Round 2 23 April
Haddington Total Swimmer Meet 1 May
ELST Distance Meet 11/12 June

For further information about the various competitions go to www.swimscotland.co.uk and click on Forthcoming Meets (in date order). The home page also lists latest results so that you can keep track of your times or watch how other swimmers are getting on from the comfort of your own home!

Thank you very much to the Committee and to swimmers for the very generous Christmas gifts that you gave to the coaches. It is not expected but very much appreciated.  I hope that everyone had a good Christmas and are now ready for lots of hard work in 2016. 

There are still spaces available to go to the training camp in the first week of the Easter holidays (28 March - 1 April). There are still a few spaces available, swimmers must be members and in either Int 1 or Int 2. Cost £165 inc all swimming and outdoor activities like kayaking and high ropes) at Whithaugh Park in the Borders. For more details see reports on previous newsletters (May 2014 & 15).

CARNEGIE GRADED MEET 16/17 January

At our first meet of the year we had a great weekend with swimmers achieving 86 PB's betweenn them over the Saturday and Sunday sessions. 

Events ranged from 50's to 400's as well as 100's and 200 IM which gave a varied programme. Both Logan Dow and Ted O'Connor took 21 seconds off their 400 free times with Joshua Mitchell right behind them taking 20 seconds off. 

It was great to have a number of the younger swimmers competing in what is probably the biggest competition they have ever taken part in. They produced lots of great times and hopefully enjoyed the experience so they will take part in other competitions. 

We even managed some speeding awards which were lovely. Scarlett Donald got her award for 50 fly with a fantastic swim, Emily and John Mander both got awards for go to fast in the 50 free. Well done all three!

Inverleith came 3rd overall behind Warrender and Carnegie who are much bigger clubs than us so that was a great achievement for all of you. 

GOLD
John Mander 100 b/c
Angust Skakle 100 fly / 100 breast
Joe Penman 200 IM
Logan Dow 50 fly

SILVER
Orla Kennedy 50 br
Emily Mander 50 br
Angus Skakle 200 IM
Ines Donald 100 fly
Carla Lovell 100 f/c
Joshua Mitchell 100 br
Lucy McDonald 50 fly
Michael Skakle 50 fly
Ted O'Connor 50 f/c

BRONZE
Ines Donald 200 IM
Felix Hale 200 IM / 100 br
Adele McDaid 200 IM
Emily Mander 50 fly

SPEEDING AWARD - too fast for the graded meet
Scarlett Donald 50 fly
John Mander 50 f/c
Emily Mander 50 f/c

EAST DISTRICT AGE GROUPS - ROUND 3 22/23/24 January

What an amazing weekend Inverleith had at the ED Age Groups at the RCP. We had 22 swimmers taking part which is probably a record or at least many, many  years since we had that number qualifying so that was a great start. 

I lost count of the PB's but we did more than 80 which is fabulous. It was also a great experience for the swimmers competing in the long course pool which is quite different from the 25m pools we compete in most of the time.

Inverleith qualified for 28 finals with another 6 swimmers being reserves which is brilliant and has been noticed by the other clubs and officials.

There were so many fantastic swims I can't mention them all but for me the highlight on the Saturday night was the boys 11/12 Medley relay getting silver following by gold in the F/C relay which was just amazing. It was such an exciting race and asuch a close finish beating Warrender by just .13 second. Well done to Cameron Alexander, Angus Allison, Felix Hale and Ted O'Connor who swam in both.

Inverleith came 7th overall for the series of 3 ED Age Group meets which is extremely good and Angus Allison came second in the top boy award for his age group. Great results.

Well done to everyone who took part and to parents who officiated and supported all weekend, many thanks. Apologies if I have missed anyone.

GOLD
Angus Allison 100 F/C, 50 Br, 100Br
Joe Penman 100 B/C, 50 B/C
11/12 boys relay - Cameron, Ted, Felix, Angus

SILVER
Angus Allison 200 IM, 50 F/C
11/12 Boys Medley Relay - as above

BRONZE
Eve Lovell 50Br
Adele McDaid 100 Fly

Congratulations to Masters Swimmer, Jan Naylor who in April 2015 broke the Scottish 100 fly record at the Scottish National Masters Short Course competition at Tollcross with a time of 2.07.90. At the same meet Jan went  on to compete in the 200 fly - the first woman in her age group (70 plus) to complete the distance and so achieved another Scottish record.

As a result Midlothian Council awarded her Senior Sports Personality of the Year. Congratulations from all at Inverleith.