The Wiltshire Team consisting of twenty six swimmers, two coaches, two team managers and two officials travelled from Wroughton on the 15 October for an overnight stay in Rotherham prior to taking part in the National County Team Championships at Ponds Forge,Sheffield the following day.
At the Team meeting on the morning of 16 October the County President Maureen Dunbar presented the following swimmers Emma Davies, Emily Dixon, Rebecca Hawkins, Eleanor Hine, Georgina Pitts, Emily Weston, Adam Coleman, Luke Demetri, Kyle Gaskin, Matthew Hare, Matthew Harris, Noah Kirby with their first time badges and Samantha Berry with her five swim ribbon.
The team then made the short the journey to Ponds Forge for a 9.45am warm up. The parade of County Presidents, team captains representing the thirty eight Counties taking part with their County banners and Gala officials took place at11.30am.
The division two, thirty one event, gala started promptly at mid-day with the team clocking up eleven personal best times in the first thirteen individual races. The next three events were 4 x 50m medley relays. All the relay teams performed really well with one team achieving a better than entered time. At this point there was a fifteen minute break which allowed spectators to get their voices back.
When the competition restarted there were a further eleven individual races with the team again in top form producing a further seven personal best times. The final four events were three 4 x 50m medley relays and the mixed 6 x 50m freestyle cannon. As before, all the relay teams performed well with two teams achieving a better than entered time.
Although the final results saw the team finish tenth the gala had produced eighteen personal best times from twenty four individual swims and three better than entered times from the seven relay events.
The whole team enjoyed the weekend. Every swimmer in the team gave 100% and the team spirit and camaraderie was fantastic.
For full results in the Swimming Section.
