"The Premier League beckons"- National Arena Swimm
Tuesday 22nd December 2009
Hosting the final round of the National Arena Swimming League the ‘A’ team travelled to Maidstone with great expectations. Positioned in joint first going in to the final gala, meant that a first or second place on the night would guarantee promotion to the premier division. However it would be tough against Sevenoaks, Chelmsford, Dover Lifeguards, Epsom District and East Grinstead. Five out of the six clubs competing had already won at least one of their previous rounds. After an inspiring team talk no one on the team disappointed with the first eleven events seeing best times being achieved. As the evening progressed every swimmer gave one hundred percent in the pool and supporting on the poolside
Overall there were 13 individual personal best times for Emily Coe, Christopher Miles, Georgia Harris, Katie Coad, George Walker, Saffron Salih(2), Henry Choong(2), Sebastian Stewart, Joseph Gaster, James May & Oliver Coe. Also all except 2 relays achieved best times.
Nine first places went to George Walker, Oliver Coe, Michael Jacobs, Katie Davis and Emily Coe. The boys 13U and 15U also won both their freestyle and medley relays.
All through the evening each race was closely fought between all clubs with the lead changing hands on a number of times, including Orpington Ojays.
Eventually by the end Sevenoaks managed to secure the overall win on the night with Orpington Ojays in a comfortable second.
1st Sevenoaks -208
2nd Orpington Ojays – 190
3rd Chelmsford – 170.5
4th Dover – 162
5th Epsom – 157
6th East Grinstead – 155
These results ensured that the overall league positions after three galas were 1st – Sevenoaks, 2nd – Orpington Ojays and 3rd Chelmsford.
Therefore we have achieved promotion to the premier divison for the first time in over a decade.
A fantastic achievement to everyone involved with the Club!!!
National Arena League (round 3) Orpington Ojays B
Tuesday 15th December 2009
The Final round of the National Arena Gala at Trinity Pool on 12/12/09 proved to be a great success, rounding off a successful year for Orpington OjaysSwimming Club.
Orpington Ojays B Team provided an outstanding performance to be placed second at the end on the day, beating several club’s A teams from across the region
This was the third meet in 2 months with 13 personal best times from 34 individual events including Louis Goff, Ben Garwood and Jack Dickerson gaining best times in 2 events.
First places were achieved by:-
Rachel Dickerson, Tom Blundell, Nicole Cheetham, Jessica Page, Jessica Frankland, Sophie Blundell, Chloe Ashley, Ben Garwood and Esme Swaffield.
There were personal best swims by:-
Rachel Dickerson, Louis Goff, Ben Garwood, Jack Dickerson, Jake Potter, Jessica Frankland, Sophie Blundell, Jack Quinn, Chloe Ashley, Esme Swaffield.
Congratulations to all of those who took part and the support throughout the competition.
Orpington Ojays promoted to Division 1 in Kent Jun
Thursday 3rd December 2009
Well done to all swimmers who took part in the successful Kent Junior League this year. After finishing 3rd last year a 2nd place this year was the target. After the first round had finished it all looked like it could be a very close affair with Orpington coming away with an 11 point lead from 2nd placed Dover and a 12 point lead from 3rd placed GBM. Some fine performances in the second round all but secured Orpington’s rise back to the top Division running away with a 35 point lead, 17 first places and 28 PB’s all that was needed in the last round was a 3rd placed finish. Obviously the only place we were aiming for was a first and a clean sweep in all 3 rounds.
The travelling parents were not disappointed. With a varied team this round due to illnesses and absences predictions were hard to make. Some truly brilliant swims from all of our swimmers ensured we got off to a flying start. After the first points total was read out Orpington had started as they were going to continue. Finishing the gala with another 17 first places and another 28 PB’s equalling the record set in the previous round Orpington came away with a 25.5-point lead from our closest rivals, amazing stats considering the two rounds are only 4 weeks apart.
With 2nd placed Dover finishing the league on 607 points the brilliant Orpington beat their nearest rivals by 78.5 points. Well done to everyone involved in the club whether it be a competitor, training buddy or parent, you should all be very proud. We are now promoted to the top Division somewhere we haven’t been for 11 years.
The hard work now begins to stay in the top Division for years to come.
Well Done
Maidstone Open Meet " Medal Haul"
Tuesday 1st December 2009
Orpington Ojays had a large representation and numerous personal best times achieved at this years Maidstone Open meet held at Mote Park (29th Nov 09).
This well organised and enjoyable event proved very successful for Ojays with the following swimmers wining medals for top six places; Rebecca Harvey, Louis Goff, Sebastian Stewart, Oliver Randall, George Walker, Jessica Page, Elizabeth Bennett, Sophie Livett, James May, Oliver Coe, Esme Swaffield, Ellie Miller, Emily Davison, James Lawrence, Rachel Dickerson, Michael Jacobs, Lewis Groombridge, Sophie Blundell, Jack Dickerson, Charis Mills, Holly Baronti, Jessica Farrow, Emily Coe, Jack Quinn, Rebecca Shipley.
Of these swimmers first places were achieved by Oliver Coe (4), Emily Davison(2), Michael Jacobs(2+2speeding tickets!), George Walker, Jessica Farrow, Emily Coe(2)
To everybody that swam, well done.
London Winter Championships 7th/8th November2009
Tuesday 24th November 2009
This year 8 of our more senior swimmers represented Orpington Ojays at the London Winter Champs which were held at Barnet on 7th/8th November. This was the week following the Palma training camp so everyone was still recovering from heavy training. Competition is particularly fierce as there are only Open and Junior categories. Chris Miles, Emily Coe, Emily Davison, James Lawrence, Katie Davis, Oliver Coe, Rachel Dickerson and Rebecca Harvey between them all competed in numerous events (28). Everybody performed well, with a silver medal for Oliver in the Junior 200m backstroke ( he also made the Open final for this event).
National Arena Swimming league- `A` team reaches t
Tuesday 24th November 2009
We boarded the coach to Horsham with anticipation as we were all aware that to compete in the Top gala in the next and final round of the Arena League we would have to finish as one of the top 3 winning teams that evening. The evening turned out to be more than we expected , it was one of the most nail biting and exhilarating galas we have all witnessed. Spirits were high despite several key swimmers being unavailable. Emily Coe started off on fine form and with a pb performance and won the first event. This was the first of 11 first places throughout the evening. The following swimmers achieved these further 1st positions, Michael Jacobs (2), George Walker, Katie Davis (2), Oliver Coe, Katie Coad and the boys13u medley relay, boys 15u medley relay and the Ladies Open freestyle relay. Individual pbs were achieved bu Katie Coad (2), George Walker (2), Joseph Gaster (2), Rebecca Noakes, Sebastian Stewart, James May and Oliver Coe. Eleven of the sixteen relay teams improved their times compared to the previous round. Throughout the gala the top 3 teams jostled for the top position. With 2 races to go Dover and Orpington Ojays were equal on points. The noise levels soared and cheering was unbelievable, we knew we had to get at least one more point than Dover in the final 2 races. Our winning position was secured with a first and second place in the final 2 races. We now look forward to battling again with Dover and Chelmsford who are all equal with us in 1st position in the league (but we have the highest gala points). The final round we will host on Dec 12th at Maidstone. If the last round was anything to go by then we are in for a thrilling gala.
Orpington Ojays Kent Junior League Division 2 Winn
Sunday 22nd November 2009
Well done to all swimmers who took part in the successful Kent Junior League this year. After finishing 3rd last year a 2nd place this year was the target. After the first round had finished it all looked like it could be a very close affair with Orpington coming away with an 11 point lead from 2nd placed Dover and a 12 point lead from 3rd placed GBM. Some fine performances in the second round all but secured Orpington’s rise back to the top Division running away with a 35 point lead, 17 first places and 28 PB’s all that was needed in the last round was a 3rd placed finish. Obviously the only place we were aiming for was a first and a clean sweep in all 3 rounds.
The travelling parents were not disappointed. With a varied team this round due to illnesses and absences predictions were hard to make. Some truly brilliant swims from all of our swimmers ensured we got off to a flying start. After the first points total was read out Orpington had started as they were going to continue. Finishing the gala with another 17 first places and another 28 PB’s equalling the record set in the previous round Orpington came away with a 25.5-point lead from our closest rivals. If it wasn’t for a slightly dubious decision on a DQ we would have improved on that record with an extra first place and an extra PB, amazing stats considering the two rounds are only 4 weeks apart.
With 2nd placed Dover finishing the league on 607 points the brilliant Orpington beat their nearest rivals by 78.5 points. Well done to everyone involved in the club whether it be a competitor, training buddy or parent, you should all be very proud. We are now promoted to the top Division somewhere we haven’t been for 11 years.
The hard work now begins to stay in the top Division for years to come.
Swim 21
Thursday 19th November 2009
I am pleased to say that Jemma Konuralp ( Swim 21 Co-ordinator for London Region) has just contacted me and said that at the National Swim 21 panel yesterday (18/11/09) Orpington Ojays have been accredited at 3 levels, Teaching, Skill development and Masters. Our previous accreditation was for Skill development only. You will all be able to meet Jemma and her husband Dervis at the presentation evening in Jan. They are both para-olympian swimmers. Dervis achieved selection for the Bejiing Olympics and managed 7th, 9th and 11th placings even though his best event is 50m fly which is not an olympic event ( he holds british,european and world records for 50 fly). They have kindly accepted the invitation to attend the evening.
Sarah C.
The A team are at the top of Speedo League divisio
Monday 16th November 2009
Orpington Ojays A team have moved to the top of division 1 in the speedo league following the second round at the weekend. This means the A team will be placed in the top gala for the final round on the 12th of December. Orpington Ojays A team are now ranked 1st with aims to beat Dover or Chelmsford to earn promotion to the premier division.
Orpington Ojays are one of the clubs able to field two teams in the leagues , the B team are currently placed 16th in division 2. For both teams these positions mean that there is much at stake and everything to swim for in what are sure to be exciting and tough third round galas.
Congratulations and well done to all the swimmers and coaches which make up both our teams and good luck to you all for the 12th of December.
Back from Palma Mallorca
Friday 30th October 2009
Orpington Ojays back from a fantastic trainnig camp in Sunny Palma Mallorca
4th Place for NSL Arena B Team
Thursday 15th October 2009
Congratulations to all who swam at Beckenham last Saturday. Everyone swam well and supported each other fantastically. Special congratulations to Charlotte Gregory, Sophie Blundell & Jessica Page for their 1st place positions as well as the girls 13u medley and freestyle relay teams. There were 14 pb times for Rachel Dickerson, Jack Quinn, Charlotte Gregory(2), David Johansen (2), Tom Blundell, Alexis Skitini, Louis Goff, Jessica Page, Ben Garwood (2) and Jack Herbert. Overall position bettered last years first round. A really good night and an excellent 4th place. WELL DONE
National Arena Swimming League Round 1 - A team 10
Monday 12th October 2009
The A team travelled to Haywards Heath for the first round of the National Arena Swimming League, where they managed to achieve a fantastic 2nd position ! (only 1.5 points behind the winning team). There were 12 first places for George Walker, Oliver Coe, Matthew Brown. Joseph Gaster, Katie Davis , Emily Coe, Saffron Salih, boys 13u Medley relay, Ladies Open Medley relay, girls 13u freestyle relay, boys 13u freestyle relay and the boys 15u medley relay. Pb times were achieved by George Walker, Michael Jacobs, Saffron Salih (2), Rebekah Noakes, Joseph Gaster, Chris Miles and James May. Brilliant result for the first round ! Well done!
White Horse League Round 5 (Sat 5th Sept 09)- A ve
Friday 11th September 2009
The first gala of the season began with the penultimate round of the White Horse League held at Crook Log pool Bexleyheath and after the disappointment of the cancellation of the previous round, everybody was hoping that this gala would be more successful. There had to be some last minute team alterations (due to swimmers’ unavailability and injuries) however yet again everyone delivered a very fine performance on the night against strong opposition.
We achieved 8 first places; Georgia Harris(2), Oliver Coe (2), Henry Choong, Michael Jacobs, Joseph Choong and Boys15U Freestyle relay
12 Personal best times were gained by Oliver Randall, Alex Miller, Oliver Coe(2), Georgia Harris, Michael Jacobs (2), Sophie Livett (2), Sam Ahrvey, Joseph Gaster, Christopher Miles, Isabelle Minter-Paye & Henry Choong.
Throughout the evening the lead changed but Orpington Ojays finaly came out on top by four points.
Well done to everyone and thank you to Joseph Choong and Clare Folkes for stepping in at the last minute!
National Championships - July 2009 (Ponds Forge)
Tuesday 28th July 2009
The ASA National Championships were held at Ponds Forge. This years Nationals were very exciting as we had two Age group swimmers attending. Oli Coe qualified for the 100m back and 200m back and Henry Choong had qualified for the 200m back ( this was Henrys first National qualification).
The Nationals are a very high profile event and are the culmination of a swimmers whole seasons training, where they compete against the best swimmers in their age groups in the country. The atmosphere is brilliant , competitors photos are put up on the electronic scoreboard. This year Sarah Price ( ex – Olympic swimmer) was doing the race commentary
Both Oli and Henry have worked very hard all season in order to qualify for these events. Oli has been hampered by a shoulder injury which at one point had indicated he wouldn`t be able to take part. Thankfully though it improved enough for him to swim.
The first day started very early with a 7.15am warm up and then one of the first events was the 100m back and in a very close race Oli qualified for the final with a pb. The finals start later in the day . Oli swam a very determined race in the final and came a very creditable 10th . It was fantastic to have support there from “The Choong family” who managed to get to Sheffield in time for the final.
The 200m backstroke race was held on the Friday and Henry and Oli were both up early for the warm-up. Simon was very nervous on poolside ! Henry swam first and swam a very controlled race! Simons advice was to do the first 100m in a 1.15. Henry hit the wall in a 1.15.00 dead! Henry performed really well in his first Nationals and even managed a large pb to finish in the 200m in 15th place in his age group. Oliver managed to swim far better than expected to gain a pb. He did however leave it really late to sprint the final 50m ! ( gaining 5 places in the final length) He managed to finish finally in 17th place overall in his age group.
Well done Henry and Oli – Everyone at Orpington Ojays are all very proud of your performances. Well done to Simon for your coaching and continual support which has enabled Henry and Oli to achieve their goals! It is due to this that we are able to say we have 2 swimmers in the top 20 in the country .
Success at 2nd weekend of Regional Championships
Tuesday 30th June 2009
The second weekend of the London Regional BAGCAT Championships was again successful for Orpington Ojays swimmers. Five swimmers competed in individual events and four relay teams at Crystal Palace. Everyone competed well with many long course PBs for Michael Jacobs, James May, Georgia Harris, Henry Choong, Oliver Coe.
Finalist places were achieved for James (200m FC,100m BS), Henry(200mFC, 400m FC) and Oliver(100m BC, 100m BS, 200m FC). Oliver outperformed the previous weekend by winning a gold medal in the 100m backstroke and bronze medals in the 100m breaststroke and 200m freestyle. This enabled him to collect enough BAGCAT points to achieve overall 2nd in his age group for the Championships. Henry Choong finished 3rd overall in his age group and both received an award.
Relay teams also competed well against very strong opposition. The girls 10-12yrs 200m medley team of Shauna Hancock, Jessica Page, Georgia Harris and Sophie Blundell fought hard swimming at PB pace and placing 11th. So to the girls 10-12yrs freestyle team with Shauna, Jessica & Georgia being joined by Holly Baronti, placing 13th. The boys 10-12yrs team of Henry Choong, Lewis Groombridge, Joseph Gaster and Ben Garwood achieved even higher placings with a 7th in the medley and 8th in the freestyle relays!
Well done to everyone that competed at this year’s London Regional Championships for some exciting swimming and successful results.
Race Night 28th June
Monday 29th June 2009
Race Night!
Platinum Juniors Bowling Night
Monday 22nd June 2009
Platinum Juniors went bowling and on to Pizza Hut as part of Charlotte Smiths Jack Petchey Award.
A good night was had by all with Holly B being pipped at the post for highest score by Holly A.
Stunt of the night was Ed Gaster launching himself down the alley instead of the ball!
Thank you Charlotte for sharing your award with everyone.
Oliver May Trophy Gala winners
Wednesday 17th June 2009
Thanks to Steve Bennett for the photo of the Trophy winning team at Maidstone (Oliver May Trophy Gala) on May 23rd. Our second Trophy Gala win of the year so far !
Well done to the whole team. Thank you to everyone who swam and especially to all those who were asked at the last minute and made such an effort to attend. Simon
Medals for Orpington Ojays at The Regional Champs
Sunday 7th June 2009
The first weekend of the London Regional BAGCAT Championships was successful for Orpington Ojays swimmers. Seven swimmers competed in individual events and three relay teams at Crystal Palace. Everyone competed well with many long course PBs for Michael Jacobs, James May, Georgia Harris, Henry Choong, Sam Harvey, Oliver Coe and Joseph Gaster.
Finalist places were achieved for James (100m FC), Georgia (100mBF), Henry(200mBC, 100m FC) and Oliver(200m BC, 200m IM). Oliver won a silver medal in the 200m backstroke while Henry a bronze. Henry also qualified for his first national event during the heats.
Relay teams also did better than expected . The girls 10-13yrs medley team of Shauna Hancock, Sophie Livett, Jessica Frankland and Sophie Blundell fought hard swimming at PB pace. So to the girls 10-13yrs freestyle team with Shauna & Sophie L being joined by Holly Baronti and Charlotte Smith.
In the final event of the weekend the boys 10-14yrs 4 x 200m team of Sam Harvey, Matt Brown, James May and Oliver Coe exceeded all expectations to secure a thrilling bronze medal.
Well done to everyone and let's look forward to next weekend!
17 PB's Secure A Win At The Marjorie Fountain Rose
Monday 1st June 2009
Our first B grade gala of the year, and the team performed with style. With a run of 17 PB’s, we couldn’t have started off much better!
It was close contest all through the evening . In the end we came away with 9 1st places – well done Jessica Sellar, Lewis Groombridge x 2, Jack Herbert, Ellie Miller, Charlotte Cooper and Jack Quinn plus our mixed 13/u freestyle and mixed 11/u freestyle relay teams.
My thanks to all the swimmers, helpers and parents who made the night so good.
Final Positions:
Orpington Ojays - 189 pts
White-oak - 178pts
Olympos Marlins - 177pts
Maidstone - 151pts
Larkfield - 147pts
Dartford District - 136pts
British Biathlon Championships - Macclesfield 17th
Monday 18th May 2009
Sunday 17th May was a windy, rainy and cold day, but a ray of sunshine hung over the Orpington Ojays swimmers who had qualified for the National Biathlon Championships. In total we had ten competitors and one team.
Seven finished in the top 10 individually within their age groups, achieving numerous PB’s along the way, with our only team placing 2nd overall.
Highest placing were Mathew Brown and Henry Choong, both finishing in second place overall. Matthew managed to equal the eventual winners total points but lost out on events won. He finished second in the swim and third in the run. Henry performed very well in the running discipline and then sealed second place with a PB in his swim, winning the individual discipline.
Our youngest finalist was Oliver Randall who had an excellent day in finishing 8th overall. He certainly gave 110%, gaining a PB in both the run and swim disciplines. Saffron Salih was in a very competitive age group and fought hard to achieve a 5th place overall. Sam Harvey finished in 13th position in his age group gaining a PB in the 1000m running event in a very tough heat and consolidating his position with an excellent swim on the day.
Oliver Coe finished 7th overall managing an amazing PB in his 200m swim of 4 seconds and following this up with a twenty second PB in the run. Christopher Miles finished 8th overall after a very courageous run to try and close the gap on Oliver.
Finally, the girls team consisting of Emily Coe, Rebecca Harvey and Rachel Dickerson, all busy studying for GCSEs and AS Levels, and after a very promising start in the swimming stepped onto the track for their dreaded 3000 metre track run. They brought the sun with them and showed courage and determination all gaining PBs of at least 30 seconds. This was enough to gain them 2nd place overall in the team event. Individually Emily finished a top notch 7th, Rebecca 12th and Rachel 13th.
All who competed had a great time, although a little tired on the way home, and looking forward to next years event! Keep an eye on the website for information for any further Biathlon events.
Friday 15th May - Excellence in Sport Awards - Bro
Sunday 17th May 2009
On Friday evening at Bromley Civic Centre awards were presentedto students at Bromley Secondary Schools who have achieved excellence in their sport - a number of Orpington Ojays swimmers were awarded with Medals, from the guest speaker Montell Douglas - British Female 100m Record Holder and Olympic 4 x 100m Finalist. The Ojays medal recipients were : Holly Baronti, Ben Garwood, James Lawrence, Rebecca Harvey and Emily Davidson.
During the evening, which was attended by the Mayor of Bromley and Gillian Pearson, Director of Childrens services, the award winners were treated to an inspirational speech from Montell Douglas and her aspirations for 2012.
Well done to all those from Orpington Ojays SCwho received medals - a great achievement.
Report by Mandy Baronti
Orpington Ojays gain medals at the Regional Youth
Tuesday 12th May 2009
On the 2nd and 3rd of May, twelve swimmers represented Orpington Ojays at this years London Regional Championships, which were held at a slowly refurbishing Crystal Palace. It was a very successful weekend with numerous pb performances and an overall amazing 13 finalist positions from those who attended , they were Chris Miles, James Lawrence, Mike Bond, Emily Coe, Katherine Nye, Rachel Dickerson, Rebecca Harvey, Katie Davis and Nicole Cheetham. Jack Quinn, Oliver Coe and Angelo Mitakos joined them for the relay events. Everybody gave 100%, particularly Chris Miles who managed 5 pbs (not to mention 3 finalist places). James Lawrence came 7th in both his events (400m & 800m) , Katherine Nye came 8th in 200 back, Mike Bond and Emily Coe managed to go one step further and both achieved 3 final and 2 medal positions. Mike Bond came 3rd (50m back) 2nd (100m back), Emily came 3rd (100m breast) and 1st (200m breast) and took the title of Regional Champion for this event!
National Tetrathlon success
Tuesday 28th April 2009
Congratulations to Joseph Choong and Saffron Salih who competed in this event at Crystal Palace last weekend. A tetrathlon comprises of fencing, shooting, swimming and running. Both performed brilliantly with Joseph reaching overall 3rd and Saffron 5th in their age groups!
White Horse League Success in Round 2
Sunday 19th April 2009
It was another successful night for Orpington Ojays in the second round of the White Horse League held at Crook Log.
Throughout the whole evening we battled for first place with an improved Beckenham team. Everyone swam well resulting in 19 first place positions (Georgia Harris (2), Katie Davis (2), Oliver Coe (2), Saffron Salih (2), Mike Bond, Katie Coad, Emily Coe, Matt Steere, Boys 15/u freestyle, Mens open medley and freestyle, Girls 13/u freestyle, 15/u medley, ladies open freestyle, Mixed squadron Relays).
There were also 11pbs achieved (Oliver Randall, Lewis Groombridge, Oliver Coe, Katie Davis, Rebekah Noakes, Michael Jacobs, Katie Coad, James May, Isabelle Minter-Paye, Henry Choong, Emily Davison).
With the lead swapping on several occasions our final run of 1st places in the last three events sealed our win.
The final points were,
1st Orpington Ojays – 329
2nd Beckenham – 322
3rd Saxon Crown – 230
4th Bromley – 225
5th Erith – 219
6th White oak – 172
7th Eltham Stingrays – 137
8th GBM - 113
SE Regional Biathlon Qualifier produces finalists
Tuesday 31st March 2009
On Sunday 29th March a number of swimmers from Orpington Ojays decided to take on the challenge of a Biathlon. This events is made up of a swim and a run of varying distances dependent on age. We had 12 competitors in total which also meant we had 3 teams.
When we decided to enter the competition it was to have a bit of fun, after a gruelling but successful Kent Championships. However the club members competitive spirit was very evident from the moment the first Orpington Ojay entered the pool.
The day started with the swimming discipline. First off the blocks were our youngest competitors Oliver Randall and Jake Potter in the Youth E category. They had to swim 50m in the morning and then run 1000m in the afternoon. They certainly showed the rest how to do it by finishing 3rd and 8th respectively, with Oliver qualifying for the National Finals.
Next up was Benjamin Coe who swam a PB in the 100m and gave a solid run in the 1000m, finishing a creditable 23rd.
Then we moved on to the older club members who were feeling the strain of losing an hour of sleep! The Youth C team consisting of Matthew Brown, Sam Harvey and Jack Dickerson put themselves in 1st place in the team event after the 200m swimming element. Amazingly they found they could run pretty quickly as well and held their overall position to claim the title. Individually they finish 2nd, 3rd and 18th and are looking forward to the National event in May.
Next up was the Youth B Team. As well we know the team consisted of three accomplished swimmers having all had success at the Kents. After the 200m swim they were standing in 1st place. However, dispite a valiant run over 2000m they could not hold onto the top spot and finished 3rd. However, individually, Chris Miles finished 4th, Oliver Coe 7th and James Lawrence 11th. This meant that both Chris and Oliver gained a place as individuals in the National Finals.
The team that had the toughest time was the Youth A Girls Team. The team consisted of Emily Coe, Rebecca Harvey and Racheal Dickerson. The girls had to swim 200m and found themselves in 1st place going into the run. The mood turned serious just before the run as the thought of running 3000m suddenly became a reality. To their credit they stuck to the task well and all completed the course, and qualified in second place for the National finals as a team. Their individual places were a very creditable 7th, 10th and 11th respectively.
Therefore a huge congratulations should be given to all who took part and good luck to all who have made the finals in Macclesfield in May.
Club Records at Race Night (Sun 22nd March)
Monday 23rd March 2009
Well done to all those that swam in the Race Night held at Eltham College. It was great to see so many entries (the most in a long time) especially from the under 9 year age groups. It is extremely encouraging to see so many enthusiastic young swimmers and parents together at event. Special congratulations need to go to Michael Jacobs who achieved 2 club records.
Thanks to all those that helped; parents, senior swimmers and coaches.
Simon Coe (Head Coach)
We are now in the top 6 clubs in Kent
Wednesday 11th March 2009
A big congratulations to all the swimmers who have trained consistently hard and as a result have swam the club into the top 6 rankings in Kent. I am in no doubt that every club member in or out of the water is extremely proud and looking forward to future achievements.
This article will be updated shortly with a full report. The results are already on-line under the Results/2009 menu and the full size photo is in the photo gallery.
13 County titles so far at Kents (& national qual.
Tuesday 3rd March 2009
The third weekend of the 2009 Championships has started off wonderfully, with the News that we currently were placed as the 6th best club in Kent (Boys & Girls). Over the 2 days we had a total of 70 swims from all our swimmers. Yet again, everyone performed to their best ability. Congratulations to you all.
First positions were achieved by the following swimmers:-
Oliver Coe (3) – 50m and 200m back and 100m breast
Henry Choong (1) – 400m free
Katie Davis (100 back)
Georgia Harris (50 fly)
Second places were gained by the following swimmers:-
James Lawrence , Henry Choong (2), Katie Davis , Matthew Brown , Emily Coe ,
Oliver Coe , Georgia Harris
Third places were achieved by:-
Oliver Coe, Michael Jacobs, Emily Coe ,
Finalist places were as follows :-
Chris Miles, Michael Jacobs, Emily Coe (2), James Lawrence (2), Mike Bond (2), Sam Harvey, Oliver Coe, Katie Davis, Rachel Dickerson (2), Matthew Brown, James May (2), Georgia Harris,
Special mention must go to Oliver Coe for accumulating 5 County titles so far, and also achieving his 200m backstroke National entry time. Henry Choong for accumulating 4 titles so far , Katie Davis for 2 titles so far and also to Georgia Harris for winning a title in her first Kent Championships.
There were 44 pbs overall, Well done to all of you, Good luck for the final weekend!
Simon.
Club records fall at the 2nd Kent County Champions
Sunday 22nd February 2009
We had another successful weekend at the County Championships in the 800m and 1500m events. On saturday evening,Crook Log was the venue for the 800m. James Lawrence and Christopher Miles competed in this event. James Lawrence had a very successful swim and achieved 3rd position in his 15 yr age group with a 12 second pb (bettering his own club record).
The following day at Black Lion Christopher Miles and Emily Coe competed in the 1500m event. Chris swam faster in the first 800m of the 1500m than he had swum the night before and went on to take a 2nd position in his age group in a 19 sec pb (and a new club record time). Emily Coe went one step further and manged to gain 1st place in her age group in a pb of 26 secs (and a new club record).
James, Chris and Emily also received 2 finalist medals each for positions in the Junior and Open Categories. Well done to them all !
Seven County Champions at first weekend of Kent C
Monday 16th February 2009
The first weekend of the 2009 Championships has started off fantastically. Over the 2 days we had a total of 88 swims from 28 swimmers. We also witnessed the Mens and Womens Open Freestyle and Medley relays. (Both Medley relays and the Womens freestyle relay came 4th and the Mens freestyle picked up 3rd medals).Everyone has performed to to their best ability and due to the number of entries, it is very difficult to mention everyone who took part. Congratulations to you all.
First positions were achieved by the following swimmers:-
Henry Choong (200 br), (200 free), (100 IM)
Oliver Coe (50 br) (100 back)
Katie Davis (50 back) (in a new club record time)
Bryonnie Newing (100 fly)
Second places were gained by the following swimmers:-
Oliver Coe (3) (200m br was a new club record time) , Emily Coe (2), Matthew Brown (4), Henry Choong
Third places were achieved by
Oliver Coe , Rebecca Harvey, Katherine Nye (2), Mike Bond (2) (50m br was in a new club record time), Bryonnie Newing (2), Emily Coe
Finalist places were as follows :-
James Lawrence (4), Emily Davison, Nicole Cheetham, James Briggs, Mike Bond (4),
Georgia Harris, James May (2), Matthew Brown, Oliver Coe, Emily Coe (3), Katie Davis (3), Holly Lumm.
Special mention must go to Henry Choong for 3 County Championship titles, and also Oliver Coe for 2 Titles ( and one event best performance - 100 IM).
There were pbs too numerous to mention, but Well done to Michael Jacobs (2 pbs and 7th place), Georgia Harris (5th place and pb), Kaya Salih (pb) and Charlotte Smith for competing in their first Championships. Full results to follow. Apologies if any results are incorrect as there are a vast number to collate. Well done for competing in such difficult conditions while Black Lion is re-furbished. The girls have already accumulated more points in one weekend than in the whole championships last year! The Boys are also very close! Congratulations to all of you.
Simon.
The girls take 9 medals at the Novices Challenge
Thursday 12th February 2009
Congratulations to all the swimmers from all the clubs who took part in the Novices gala, a gala with the specific aim of giving the up-and-coming younger swimmers valuable experience of an open meet style event. The day passed extremely smoothly with the only real problem arising at the end with some families finding out their cars had been locked into the Walnuts Shopping Centre car park for the night. Thank you to Karen for bringing this to our attention and steps will be taken to give ample warning about this next year.
Orpington Ojays came away with 17 medals with the girls total of 9 and the boys 4. Holly Baronti took all three colours with gold in the backstroke, silver in the freestyle and bronze in the breastroke. Jessica Frankland also had the taste of gold in fly. Isabelle Minter-paye took home two with silver in the fly and bronze in the freestyle. Kate Ridley finishes the girls up with her bronze in the backstroke.
Three boys shared the 4 medals. Kaya Salih took two bronzes in the freestyle and the butterfly while two silvers went to David Johansen for the breaststroke and Oliver Randall for the backstroke.
In the relays the club took a gold in the mixed 10 years freestyle. We also had three silvers, two for the girls 9 years in the freestyle and medley and one for the mixed 11 years freestyle. The mixed 10 years medley team and the mixed 11 years freestyle team finished the day with bronzes.
Many thanks to all the swimmers from all the clubs for entering and taking part, all the parents and officials who ran the day and all the spectators for their support.
Thank you to Beverley Choong and to Ian Milne for organising a super Novices Gala today. Well done to all the swimmers, parents, Officials and all the helpers (too numerous to mention) It was fantastic to see all the Top squad swimmers and older swimmers helping out , WELL DONE EVERYONE!!
This also gives me an opportunity to introduce our new Captains and Vice Captains, for this year. Pictured here are James Lawrence and Emily Coe (Captains) and Clare Folkes, Rebecca Harvey and Alexis Skitini (Vice- Captains) as they award the medals at the Novices.
Presentation Night
Saturday 31st January 2009
A great night was had by all who attended a `sold out` presentation night, held at the Alexandra suite in Swanley. Special guests included Jane Evans (from the Jack Petchey Foundation) and Eve Powis, who both presented awards. Congratulations to all award winners and Thank you to everyone who supported the evening.
Simon
2nd @ Beacon Relay Gala - Sunday 25th January, Bec
Tuesday 27th January 2009
A thrilling afternoon was experienced by swimmers and spectators attending the Beacon Relay Gala held at Beckenham Spa. Five clubs competed with Orpington Ojays; Croydon Amphibians (last year’s winners), Leander, White Oak, Bromley and Sevenoaks. Throughout the gala all teams competed in an exciting environment however quickly it became apparent that two clubs were dominating most of the races. Orpington and Croydon! Between them they won 30 of the 32 events.
In the end Croydon proved the stronger of the two, reclaiming the trophy and medals but we pushed them close throughout.
The final postions were;
1st Croydon Amphibians – 174 pts
2nd Orpington Ojays – 160 pts
3rd Sevenoaks – 121pts
4th White Oak – 92pts
5th Bromley – 81pts
6th Leander – 41pts
Well done to all those who swam and helped to provide an exciting afternoon of swimming
1st Place @ The White Horse League 17/1/2009 - Cro
Tuesday 20th January 2009
We travelled to Crook Log on Saturday 17th January for the first round of the White Horse League this year. Hopes were high , as we had been the winners of the League trophy last year.
There was new competition this year as Saxon Crown have joined the League. We needn`t have worried, as between them, the OOSC team managed a phenomenal 20 first places. (Girls 13u Medley and freestyle relays, Boys 13u Medley relay, Boys 15u Medley relay, Ladies Open Medley relay, Mens Open Medley and freestyle relays,Georgia Harris 11u 50 back and fly, Katie Davis 15u 100 back, Oliver Coe 15u 100 back and breast, Henry Choong 13 u 100 back and free, Matthew Brown 15u 100 free, Saffron Salih 13u 100 free, Emily Coe Ladies Open 100 breast, Bryonnie Newing Ladies Open 100 free, Matt Perkins Mens Open 100 free and Joe Heaney Mens Open 100m Backstroke.
There were 10 pbs from Michael Jacobs, Katie Coad (2), Joseph Gaster (2), Matt Brown, Georgia Harris (2), Oliver Randall and Joe Heaney
We finished the evening in 1st place, with Beckenham B in 2nd and White Oak in 3rd. Well done to everybody for their hard work and lets look forward to the next round!
44 PB's @ Canterbury Icebreaker 10th/11th Jan 2009
Tuesday 20th January 2009
13 OOSC swimmers attended the Canterbury Icebreaker Open Meet on the 10th/ 11th Jan . The Icebreaker is a Meet which has high entry times and to be accepted is an achievement in itself. It was a long weekend with finals taking place in the evening session on both days.
We had a fantastic weekend of swimming and between them 13 swimmers managed to achieve 44 pbs! There were 5 first places (Emily Coe, Henry Choong (3),Katherine Nye) . A further 16 final places were achieved, and it was exciting to have our swimmers in so many final events. Emily Coe, James Lawrence, Oliver Coe, Nicole Cheetham, Rebecca Harvey, Henry Choong , Katherine Nye, Katie Davis all took part in at least one final, if not more.
All swimmers gained at least one pb over the weekend.
Well done to all of you who swam they were as follows:-
Chris Miles, Emily Coe, Emily Davison ,Henry Choong, James Briggs, James Lawrence, James May ,Katherine Nye, Katie Davis, Nicole Cheetham, Oliver Coe, Rebecca Harvey, Sam Harvey and Saffron Salih.
Special mention must go to Henry Choong who achieved 9 pbs, 3 final places and came 1st or 2nd in all the events he entered.
A Big well done to all of you! Thank you to all of our supporters.
3rd place for B Team @ National Swimming League Ro
Friday 2nd January 2009
The third round of the National Swimming League saw the B team at the Beckenham Spa again, but missing quite a few swimmers due to several last minute withdrawals. This unfortunately meant we lost our boys 9-11yrs relay team, leaving us with 0 points for two events. Overall our round 3 team did better than the previous rounds, well done everyone!
In our relays, our girls 11/u team swam the fastest in both the freestyle (2nd) and medley (1st) than the previous two rounds, as did both our ladies (1st) and men’s (4th) open medley relays. Our boy’s 13/u freestyle (3rd) also swam the fastest so congratulations go to all of those teams from round 3. We also had 10 PB’s – Jack Quinn, Michael Jacobs, Sophie Blundell, Tom Blundell (2), Nick Blackler, Alexis Skitini, Henry Matthews, Shauna Hancock, James Briggs and Jessica Page. Excellent work, well done, particularly to Oliver Randall for swimming in his first individual race!
We had some fantastic swims, congratulations go the following swimmers on a first place: Georgia Harris (2), Nicole Cheetham, Rachel Dickerson (2), Sophie Blundell, Elizabeth Bennett and of course our ladies open medley team and girls 11/u medley team. There were a whopping 25 top 3 finishes, our highest number yet, beating round 1 (10 top 4) and round 2 (9 top 4), and only 1 disqualification, or should I call that falling in at the start???
The final results were:
Eltham Stingrays 221.5pts
Sutton Atlantis 185.5pts
Orpington Ojays B 160pts
Erith and District B 160pts
Edenbridge Piranhas 136.5pts
Folkestone 0pts
This left us overall in the league in 18th place out of 20 teams. Well done to everyone who swam in any of the 3rds and see you all next year for a better finish! Thankyou to the parents, helpers, organisers, committee and anyone I’ve missed off for the National Swimming League B team.