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MTS Juniors - National Swimming Champions 2009
During June six boys from the Junior School competed in the English Schools National Swimming Championships at the International Ponds Forge Pool, Sheffield. The competition is open to all primary schools in the country and this year approximately 500 schools took part. Merchant Taylors' qualified for the finals when they become Northern Area Champions at the Europa pool in March. Our boys Ethan Clark, Matthew Parslew, Harry May, James Alexander, William Gilby and Cameron Leece did extremely well all swimming life time bests finishing third in the Medley Team Relay with only a second separating the first three teams. In the Freestyle Relay the boys raised their performance even higher brushing aside some very strong competition to take first place. With the first 5 teams all swimming under 1 minute we were just too strong finishing in 58:81. Our first and third place finishes were enough for the team to be crowned overall winners and National Swimming Champions 2009.
Mr Whalley writes...
I had high expectations of the swimmers and had stupidly boasted of what I thought they could achieve. Now the day of the English Schools National Primary Swimming Finals had arrived. The organisers had been unusually kind in allocating us our water familiarisation time 11:40 which meant that none of us had to cut short our beauty sleep for an early start. I instead awoke at leisure and set off about 9 o'clock for the 100 or so miles drive to the International Pond Forge Pool Sheffield. I was as organised as ever, ready early, pacing up and down like an expectant father just wanting to be on my way, when a feeling of impending doom came over me and with it the realisation that I had forgotten my stopwatch and a 40 minute round trip to school had been thrust to the fore of my itinerary. Finally we were off a little late, but stopwatch now in hand hoping - no worrying - that nothing else would go wrong. My wife came along to keep me company but really exploiting a perfect opportunity to spend a day shopping and abusing my debit card waited until we were about half way to reassure me and help put me at ease by informing me that she was convinced she'd left the iron switched on. Just great.
I was beginning to think I'd been too confident going in to the finals and fate was about to deal me a devastating blow. The remainder of the journey was clear - we even managed to find a parking place in the pool's car park (maybe my luck had turned). All the boys and their parents where there on time, big smiles clearly excited, all except one.
"I ‘m not happy with him"
"why " I said,
"I'll let him tell you himself".
One of the boy had forgotten to bring along his special commemorative team t-shirt that some of the mothers had had made for them to have their photograph taken in. I won't name the boy; instead, I'll let Ethan remain anonymous. (That is SO cruel, Mr Whalley!! - PAW)
Far from being cross I was actually relieved being superstitious I believe that things come in threes and three thing had gone wrong. Convinced that everything else that happened today would be good I was able to guide the boys through their water familiarisation quietly confident of them achieving a good result.
With the protracted pomp and ceremony out of the way the competition final got under way with the boys 4x25m Medley relay; our boys won their heat gaining themselves a place in the final with the fourth fastest time. With the knowledge that there were 3 faster teams in the final, the boys were determined to swim even faster looking for a podium finish. Harry May swimming Backstroke, James Alexander - Breaststroke, Ethan Clark - Butterfly and Matthew Parslew - Freestyle did exactly that finishing in a superb third place.
The second half of the competition began with MTS in the first heat lane 4 of the Freestyle relay a position normally reserved for the fastest qualifying team. I had known the draw for some time but now was the time to tell the boys. This was our race, all they had to do was swim their own race focusing on their own technique and to let all the opposition worry about us. An excellent race and job done, poll position in the final secured.
I can remember several years ago when a primary freestyle relay team went under 1minute for the first time, such was the quality of the boys Freestyle final that there where 6 teams who all swam under one minute in the heats. We lead from the off, an excellent start from Matthew Parslew, next Ethan Clark increased our lead before Cameron Leece swam a great 3rd leg to maintain a good metre and a half lead. Last up was William Gilby, the tactical team selection was working well with the planned lead going in to the last leg leaving the oppositions best swimmers the difficult task of swimming through the resistance caused by Williams wake if they where to have any chance of catching us. William's swim was outstanding - in fact his take-over from Cameron was so sharp only the poolside electronic equipment could tell if he had gone too soon or not. Holding out despite very late challenges from St Andrews, Parkside School, Bromsgrove and Locksheath Junior School, MTS took the Freestyle Champions Title in a time of 58.81. A superb 3rd and 1st place was enough for us to be crowned overall boys National Champions 2009.
As with bad things earlier in the day the afternoon had brought us three very good things to savour the only downside on a fantastic day was lasting warped sense of humour of some English Schools Northern Area Official who some years ago in his/her jealously of all things great had assigned the ‘Z' Cars theme tune as our divisional anthem. Although it went against the grain I applauded and clapped each time our school was announced to collect their prize marching out the tune whilst in my head imagining the speakers blasting out the old Gerry Marsden classic. The funniest moment of the day came as the vertically challenged Mrs Wynne standing on a bench to get a better view had totally forgotten in her excitement as the boys swam, that there was little more than a few centimetres clearance between her head and the underneath of the upper tier balcony, jumping up in celebration almost knocking her self out - any captured video footage to you've been framed please!
The victorious swimming team....without James, sadly
Well done to the team - and their coaches too. We are all so very proud of you!!