Young Stamford swimmers compete in ESSA final

Young Stamford swimmers compete in ESSA final

Four young swimmers from Stamford School have had the opportunity to compete in the 2012 Olympic Pool, in the English Schools Swimming Association (ESSA) Secondary Team National Championships, having qualified in the top 15% at the East Midlands trials.

George Stevens and Rufus Bennett, Year 7, alongside Miles Starbuck and Ryan Weise, Year 8, formed the team and competed in both the Medley and Freestyle Relays, travelling to the London Aquatics Centre on Saturday 16 November for the finals. The team came 27th in both races, out of almost 200 schools competing in the overall championships.

Amie White, Head of Swimming at Stamford School, said: “It is an outstanding achievement for these boys to have made it through to the national finals, against some strong competition across the country. Both myself and the Schools are immensely proud of their achievement.

“This is the third year in a row that the Year 7 boys have competed at the ESSA, previously competing in Primary Nationals, and so it was fantastic to watch them team up with the two older boys to compete in such a prestigious pool. As the first time some of the boys have raced in a 50m pool, this is a challenging, yet rewarding, experience that will stay with them for a long time to come.”