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Falkirk Otter Trophy

The young swimmers of North Ayrshire were narrowly beaten into second place by 4 points for the Falkirk Otter trophy which was held recently at Larkhall. Three swimmers won best boy or girl in their age group. 9 year old Demi Orr had a clean sweep, winning Gold in all four of her race and set personal best times in each swim. She was closely followed by 10 year old Julie McClymont and 11 year old Jordan Hughes who both took 3 golds and a silver. Overall it was a fine team performance by all the swimmers - Demi, Julie, Jordan, Gabrielle Black, Sophie Young, Fraser Gilmour, Jennifer King, Amy MacPherson, Jordi Young, Jade MacKillop, and Ross Hughes, who hope to go one better next year. There was also a multitude of winning performances and individual bests by the swimmers at the South Ayrshire Age Group meet which was held at the Citadel, in Ayr. These included a 1-2-3-4 for the club in the girls 12 and under 200m backstroke, courtesy of the quartet of Samantha King, Heather McClymont, Rheanna Sloss and Jennifer King. There was also a sibling 1-2 in the Boys 12 and under 200m butterfly where Jordan and Ross Hughes came first and second respectively. Graham Brown's gold winning performance in the 12 and under 400m freestyle cut over 26 seconds from his previous best. Robyn Stewart took 52 seconds from her best in the 200m IM and Alison Hughes' time of 2:46.49 was an excellent 18 second improvement, while sister Lauren took 6.5 seconds from her 200m freestyle. Catriona Campbell smashed her best time in the 100m butterfly by 11.75 seconds. Kerry Andrew recorded a 15 second improvement to her 100m butterfly, Daniel Lee improved his 100m breaststroke time by 3.4 seconds, and Raymond Stone's superb silver medal winning swim of 3:00.88 was a massive 20 seconds inside his previous best time.13 year old Mhairi Gilmour also made a huge improvement to her 200m freestyle time by 9.95 seconds (2:31.30) and 12 year old Sarah Reford chopped 2.29 seconds from her 50m freestyle time. 11 year old Jade MacKillop was another swimmer whose increased performance was demonstrated by her 200m IM time of 3:30.34, as did Jordi Young with a new best in the 200m backstroke (3:02.19). Once again every swimmer won medals or improved their times - well done to them and their coaches.
Scottish National Age Groups

There were many notable performances from North Ayrshire swimmers at the Scottish National Age Group Meet at Tollcross. 11 year old Samantha King claimed 2 Scottish Age Group Championship medals as top Scottish swimmer in the 12 years and under 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly. Samantha also won a silver in the 100m freestyle and a bronze in the 200m freestyle and set six new Scottish age group record times.11 year old Jordan Hughes also starred with a fifth place in the final of the 12 years and under 100m freestyle where he set a new personal best time of 1:04.53. Jordan also improved his times in the 400m freestyle and 200m freestyle. Team mate Graham Brown smashed his previous best in the 400m freestyle by over 10 seconds with a swim of 4:56.48, as well as improving his 200m back and freestyle times, and his 100m backstroke time. Raymond Stone's superb 200m breaststroke time of 3:08.51 was over 4 seconds inside his previous best. Congratulations to Rheanna Sloss for a new best in the 800m where she sliced 10 seconds from her previous best time with a swim of 10:34.90. Rheanna did even better in the 200m breaststroke where her time of 3:10.84 was over 11 seconds better than her previous, and exceeded those achievement with a 5:47.54 time in the 400m IM - 17 seconds better than before. Heather McClymont also kept up her run of excellent form with new PBs in the 200m IM ( 2:45.18) and 100m backstroke (1:16.19). Well done also to the girls relay teams of Heather, Rheanna, Samantha, Mhairi Gilmour and Kerry Andrews, and the boys team of Raymond, Graham, Jordan and Daniel Lee. All the swimmers did the club proud
Stirling Juniior Meet

North Ayrshire swimmers shared 14 gold, 3 silver, and 5 bronze medals at the recent Stirling Junior Open Meet. Leading off the gold trail was Heather McClymont in the 12 year old 200m IM. Heather also took gold in the 100m backstroke and added a silver and bronze for good measure. Rheanna Sloss took silver in the 12 years 100m butterfly and added 2 bronzes in the 100 backstroke and breaststroke. Sarah Reford cut an amazing 41 seconds from her 100m IM time with a new best of 2:47.52s, then reduced her 100m freestyle time by over 20 seconds to 1:15.08.Mhairi Gilmour took two 5th places in the 12 years 100m breaststroke and freestyle, which were also two of the four events in which she set new personal bests. Raymond Stone collected four 4th places before going one better in the 100m breaststroke, winning bronze. Graham Brown was another gold winner for his efforts in the 100m freestyle. He completed a full set of medals with silver in the 200m freestyle and bronze in the 100m backstroke. Samantha King had a clean sweep in her races, collecting six golds and the best girl award for her efforts. Matching Samantha was Jordan Hughes, who took the best boy award with a blistering performance that included 5 golds and a 4th place. Jade MacKillop took 6th place in the 100m backstroke final and claimed 3 PBs in her other swims, a feat shared by Kerry Andrews, who improved her times in the 100m butterfly and freestyle, and 200m freestyle. Overall a successful and enjoyable two days with every swimmer improving on their previous best times.
Mini League

Congratulations to the Mini League swimmers from North Ayrshire who continued their defence of the trophy with another fine performance at Helensburgh recently. The team were up against stiff competition from host club Helensburgh, as well as Kingston and Kirkintilloch. The young swimmers prevailed and amassed a total of 187 points, some 30 points ahead of the second placed team. They now lie in second position overall and seem certain to qualify for the finals, with only one qualifying round remaining. The team was 8 years & Under - Gabrielle Black, Blair Angus, Katie Inch, Findlay Frame, Sophie Young, Jasmine MacKillop 10 years & Under - Demi Orr, Alex Killin, Glenn Duffy, Louis Dymond, Eilidh Love, Jennifer King, Ross Hughes, Kirsten Andrew, Fraser Gilmour, Stuart Ramage, John Wright 11 years - Samantha King, Jordi Young, Jordan Hughes, Julie McClymont, Jade MacKillop, Amy Macpherson There were some fantastic performances at Tollcross Leisure Centre when the club competed in the Milngavie & Bearsden Meet. Julie McClymont and Jennifer King each took 4 golds, plus a bronze and silver respectively. Rheanna Sloss also took a gold and three silvers, and Jade MacKillop also took a gold, two silvers and a bronze. Jordi Young scooped a silver, two bronzes and a 6th place, Ailie Macpherson won bronze in the 50 m freestyle and 4th in the 50m backstroke, and Kerry Andrew took 6th place in the 100m butterfly with a new best time. Stuart Wallace recorded 3 PB times in the 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, and 100m backstroke and Amy Macpherson also set a new best time for herself in the 100m backstroke of 1:38.88. Finally, well done also to Stuart Wallace, Samantha King, Rheanna Sloss and Graham Brown who all represented the club at the West District Championships at Cumbernauld on the 15th and 16th March.
NA Distance Meet

The North Ayrshire Distance Meet at Auchenharvie attracted teams from as far apart as Dumfries and Perth. In such a competitive environment the local swimmers raised their game and amassed a total of 32 medals, as well as everyone achieving at least one personal best time. Ross Hughes, Jennifer and Samantha King all won their age group prizes - Ross took 3 golds, Jennifer 4 golds and a silver, and Samantha 5 golds. In addition, Ross and Samantha took the respective boy and girl award for best individual swims of the weekend. Julie McClymont won the full set of gold, silver and bronze for her efforts, and also took 16 seconds from her 400m freestyle time. Raymond Stone's gold and bronze winning performances were also achieved in new best times, as was Jordan Hughes gold medal winning time of 2:19.78s in the 200m freestyle. Heather McClymont's 3 silvers included a superb 44 second improvement to her 800m freestyle time. Graham Brown took 2 silvers and also smashed his 800m freestyle time by over 16 seconds. Lauren Hughes took silver and bronze in the 200IM and 200 breaststroke, 9 year old Demi Orr took silver in the 10 years and under breaststroke, cutting her previous best by almost 20 seconds to 3:39.57s. Stuart Wallace's silver in the 200m breaststroke was matched by Catriona Campbell in the 14 years 200m butterfly, while Kerry Andrew's bronze in the 13 years 200m butterfly eclipsed her previous best by over 18 seconds. There were many other outstanding performances over the weekend which included Sarah Reford establishing a best time in the 200m freestyle of 2:48.34, Robyn Stewart smashing her 200m backstroke and freestyle times by over 10 seconds, and Amy MacPherson's 17 & 19 second reduction to her 200IM and freestyle times. Alison Hughes' 3 new PBs was highlighted by her 400m freestyle time of 5:57.68, which was over 14 seconds better than her old time. Kirsten Andrew went 13 seconds better in her 200m IM (2:59.75), and Jade MacKillop continued her improvement in the 400m freestyle with a time of 5:32.62. 10 year old John Wright's swims included an excellent 3:11.57 in the 200m IM, Daniel Lee cut his 400m freestyle to 4:56.04 and Mhairi Gilmour's 3 new best times also included a new best for her 400m freestyle of 5:24.89s. Last but not least was Jordi Young who also set 3 PBs, amongst which was an impressive 2:46.33 in the 11 years 200m freestyle. All in all, a very successful gala for the club, swimmers and coaches. For more details of the club, please visit www.naasc.co.uk
Junior Graded Meet

Congratulations to the younger swimmers from North Ayrshire ASC who did their club proud at the recent Junior Graded Meet held at Grangemouth. 8 year old Gabrielle Black took a silver in the 25m butterfly, bronze in the 100m, IM where she improved her best time by 7.5 seconds, and a 5thth place in the 25m breaststroke. She was joined amongst the medals by 7 year old Katie Inch who took silver in the 25m backstroke with a time of 22.55s and a 5th place in the 25m Breaststroke. 8 year old Sophie Young scooped bronze in the 25m butterfly and a 6th place in the 100m IM where her time of 1:53.74 cut her previous best by over 6 seconds. 8 year old Glenn Duffy swam 3 personal best times, the most impressive being a 17 second improvement to his 25m breaststroke (34.08s), while 7 year old Jasmine MacKillop also swam 3 PB times including a 4.32s improvement to her 25m backstroke. Finally the MacPherson sisters Amy and Ailie took 5 PB times between them - 10 year old Amy clipped half a second from her 50m freestyle time and Ailie reduced her 100m IM time by 3.41s to 1:53.32.
City of Glasgow Graded Meet

The young swimmers of North Ayrshire brought home a wealth of medals and best times at the City Of Glasgow Graded Meet recently. Mhairi Gilmour took gold as well as a 4th, 5th and 6th place, and was joined amongst the medals by Ross Hughes with 2 golds and a silver and Heather McClymont who also took two golds and a bronze. Jennifer King's tally was gold, two silvers and a bronze, Jordan Hughes won gold and silver, Raymond Stone also struck gold and there was silver for Jordi Young, a 5th place for both Julie McClymont and Robyn Stewart and a 6th place for Daniel Lee. Added to these were almost 30 personal best swims shared amongst Jade MacKillop, Sarah Reford, Kerry and Kirsten Andrew, Ailie and Amy MacPherson, Lauren and Alison Hughes, Fraser Gilmour, Maggie Stewart and Catriona Campbell. Well done to all the swimmers and their coaches for continuing to improve their performances.
Clyde Coast Mini League

The young swimmers of North Ayrshire ASC began their defence of the Clyde Coast Mini League in fine style with a convincing performance at the Galleon Leisure Centre in Kilmarnock. The mini league, which the club has won for three consecutive years, is often the first competitive event for younger swimmers. This year, the club's first fixture saw them drawn against host club Kilmarnock, Inverclyde, and Clydebank. All the youngsters, ranging from raw recruits aged 7 up to the experienced (!) 10 and 11 year olds performed splendidly and the club finished on top with a points score of 189. This gave the club an excellent start in its pursuit of another title and is now well placed to qualify for the final. Roll on the next round at Helensburgh!
West Districts

Several of North Ayrshire's swimmers were in fine form at the recent West District Group Championships at Grangemouth recently. Samantha King scooped seven gold medals and took two Scottish Age Group records in the 200 and 400 IMs with times of 2:39.50 and 5:29.45s. Heather McClymont's tally of two silvers and two 4th places included a 14 second improvement to her 400m freestyle. Jordan Hughes weighed in with two bronzes, whilst Raymond Stone took two 4th places in the 800m freestyle and 200m breaststroke as well as a 6th place in the 400m IM. Graham Brown's collection of 4th, 5th and 6th places was highlighted by a 45 second reduction in his 800m freestyle time and Rheanna Sloss took 6th in the 400 IM with a time of 5:49.57s. Mhairi Gilmour's 2 PBs included an excellent 2:49.80 PB in the 200m backstroke, knocking nearly 14 seconds from her previous best. Jade Mackillop took over 23 seconds from her 200m butterfly time and Julie McClymont, the club's youngest representative took two personal bests in the 200m breaststroke and 200m backstroke.
Carnegie Mini Meet

North Ayrshire swimmers retained their Carnegie Mini Meet trophy in emphatic style with a points total almost double that of their nearest rivals. 6 swimmers took best boy or girl in their age group. 8 year old Demi Orr won all four of her events, including a 20.36 time in the 25m backstroke. 9 year old Ross Hughes took 3 golds and a silver, while brother Jordan's haul of gold, two silvers and a bronze included a 5.7 second improvement to his 50m breaststroke time (43.77s). 10 year old Julie McClymont powered her way to 3 golds and a silver, and sisters Jennifer and Samantha King each won all four of their individual swims. Jordi Young took gold in the 10 years 50m breaststroke, and added another as part of the club's winning relay team which also included Jordan, Julie and Samantha. On top of this, there were personal best performances from 8 year Eilidh Love (who also took more than 3 seconds from her 25m backstroke time), sisters Ailie and Amy MacPherson, who took 8 seconds from her 50m butterfly time, 10 year old Jade MacKillop and 11 year old Sarah Redford. Coach Sally Brown said "It was a well deserved win and just goes to prove that all the hard work that the children put in is worth it. It is pleasing that we retained the trophy from the previous year, but with a much bigger margin. We look forward to returning next year to try and better our performance."
Cumbernauld Mini Open Meet

Some excellent performances from North Ayrshire ASC swimmers brought a clutch of medals and best performances at two galas. Well done to all our swimmers who competed in our own Graded meet competition held at Auchenharvie. Assistant Junior head coach for the event, Jasmine Mackillop (aged 6) made the following comments "The swimmers from NAASC competed in their gala at Auchenharvie, Jasmine MacKillop was assistant coach. All the swimmers worked very hard and lots of them got PB's, which was great news for head coach Sharon and Sally the bigger assistant coach. I enjoyed being coach for the weekend but I would much rather have been swimming with my friends, I cannot wait till I am old enough to swim in the gala. Well done to all the swimmers they done really great." Amongst the highlights, Demi Orr won 3 golds, a silver and a fourth, Robyn Stewart also won 3 golds and a sixth, Lauren Hughes matched her colleagues with 3 golds and there were also winning swims from Kerry Andrew and Jennifer King. Samantha Brown won 3 silvers, a bronze and two fifths, Daniel Lee took 2 silvers, Jade MacKillop earned a fourth and fifth, with Maggie Stewart and John Wright both taking a fourth in their respective events and Catriona Love with a fifth in the 200m freestyle. Jordi Young, Sarah Redford, Fiona Lee and Eilidh Love were amonst those setting PB times - Eilidh took an astonishing 51 seconds from her 100m IM time. At the Cumbernauld Mini Open meet 3 swimmers won best boy or girl medals for their age group -10 year old Julie McClymont took 5 golds and a silver, 11 year old Jordan Hughes swept the board winning all 5 of his events and 11 year old Samantha King also won all 6 of her events. Backing up this triumvirate of champions were Ross Hughes with 3 golds and 2 silvers, and Jennifer King winning 5 silvers and one gold. Heather McClymont's scooped Gold, Silver and Bronze, a feat emulated by Raymond Stone, whilst Graham Brown struck Gold and Silver in two of his events. Rheanna Sloss's earned 2 fourth and one fifth place and Mhairi Gilmour won fifth and sixth place to complete the haul. In addition to this, all our swimmers broke their personal best time during the gala. 9 year old Amy and 10 year old Ailie Macperson both set 3 personal best times, as did 9 year old Fraser Gilmour and 10 year old Kirsten Andrew. Her sister Kerry went one better with 4 PBs, and to wrap things up there were 5 best performances for 12 year old Alison Hughes.
Clyde Coast Winter Championships

North Ayrshire swimmers finished a very creditable 4th place in the recent Clyde Coast Winter Championships held at the Citadel, Ayr. The swimmers were on many occasions competing against older rivals, especially in the relays, and a series of fine performances and good team spirit ensured they finished behind West Dunbartonshire, Ren 96, and City of Glasgow who won by one point. Well done to all involved. Heather McClymont struck triple gold in the Hamilton Baths Graded Meet held at Bellshill. Her wins came in the 12 - 13 years 100m Freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly - she also came 5th in the 50m freestyle. 10 year old John Wright won the 100m butterfly and Jordi Young took the 10 -11 years 100m breaststroke as well as 4th in the 100m backstroke. Jade MacKillop's two medals include a bronze in the 10 - 11 years 100m backstroke and a gold in the 100m Butterfly where team mate Julie McClymont took silver - Julie added a 4th place in the 100m backstroke and 5th in the 50m freestyle.. Daniel Lee also took a silver and 4th place in the 12 - 13 years 100m and 50m freestyle respectively. Fraser Gilmour added to his collection with a bronze in the 9 years and under 50m freestyle and a 6th place in the 50m breast. Finally Graham Brown took 6th in the 12 - 13 years 100m backstroke. There were personal bests for all the other swimmers - Mhairi Gilmour, Sarah Redford, Kerry Andrew, Catriona Campbell, Eilidh Love, Fiona Lee, and Samantha Brown to complete a highly successful meet for the club.

James Hickman

5 times World Butterfly Champion James Hickman paid a visit to Auchenharvie Leisure Centre to coach North Ayrshire Amateur Swimmers in the finer points of their technique. James, who has trained with the likes of Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe, gave a masterclass to all the club members, from junior to masters, in skills such as streamlining, turns and starts, and motivation. It is a great privilege for the club to have a world class swimmer like James passing on top tips to its members. James is part of the Aquateers programme, made up of former British champions whose aim is to encourage British swimmers progress towards competing in the 2012 Olympics in London.