Falkirk Otter swimmers earn FIRST call-ups for national championships

Otters' swimmer Ava Steele was named top girl at the Falkirk Otter Age Group Meet (Photo: Contributed)

Falkirk Otter Swimming Club will be well represented at the forthcoming Scottish National Age Group Championships, with a host of youngsters being selected to represent FIRST (Falkirk Integrated Regional Swim Team).

The event is being held at Aberdeen Sports Village during the second week of the Easter break.

Otters’ Grace Blair, Finlay Byrne, Orla Campbell, Zoe Crawford, Zachary Dormer, Ava Gallacher, Keziah McCappin, Lexine McCappin, Ewan McMahon, Emma Silcock, Ava Steele, Ruaraidh Stevenson and Victoria Weir have all been called into the FIRST team which will go up against against the best swimmers in the country in a number of events at the five day national event.

Meanwhile, in recent weeks Falkirk Otter ran its annual development and age group galas at Grangemouth Sports Complex.

This was the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak that the club has been able to organise this event and there were over 500 swimmers competing from across the country.

On the Saturday at the development meet, the youngest swimmers in the club excelled with many of them making their first gala appearance.

There were many great swims throughout the day with lots of personal bests.

Top six finishers on the Saturday morning included the following; Thea Godding (6th 50m fly), Edward Watson (2nd 50m fly, bronze 100m IM, 2nd 50m Back, 4th 50m breastroke, 3rd 50m free), Isla McLeod (2nd 100m IM, 3rd 50m fly, 4th 50m back, 2nd 50m breastroke, 3rd 50m free), Lily Taylor (2nd 50m fly, 5th 50m back, 4th 50m breastroke, 6th 50m free), Aria Meney (6th 50m breastroke), Matthew Byrne (1st 50m breastroke). Lily Taylor, Edward Watson, Isla McLeod, James Weir, Lily Taylor and Euan MacKenzie came 2nd in the freestyle relay. On the Saturday afternoon the top 6 finishers were as follows; Connor McIntyre (5th 100m IM, 4th 50m fly, 4th 50m breastroke, 3rd 50m free), Kyle Rawding (1st 100m IM, 5th 50m fly, 3rd 50m back, 1st 50m breastroke, 2nd 50m free).

Lucy Ure, Connor McIntyre, Orla Godding and Kyle Rawding came 2nd in the freestyle relay.

At a very strong age group meet on the Sunday, some excellent swimming from the Otter swimmers resulted in a handful of SNAGS consideration times for the swimmers with many swimmers making significant personal bests.

Medal winners included the following: Grace Blair (3rd 100m fly, 2nd 100m back, 2nd 200m IM, 3rd 100m breastroke), Finlay Byrne (3rd 100m breastroke), Ewan McMahon (3rd 400m free), Ava Steele (2nd 400m free, 1st 100m back, 1st 200m IM, 2nd 100m breastroke, 3rd 100m free), Ruaraidh Stevenson (3rd 400m free), Mia Taylor (3rd 400m free).

Zachary Dormer, Elliot Fawkes, Ava Steele, Grace Blair, Isla MacKenzie, Nathanael Schiff-Abels, Raphael Schiff-Abels and Morven Henderson came 2nd in the freestyle relay.

A great weekend of swimming was crowned with Kyle Rawding winning top boy in the 11-years-age category and Ava Steele winning top girl in the 12-years-age category Both swimmers continuing their excellent early season form.

Finally, at last weekend’s west district pre-SNAGS long course meet, a small team of Otter swimmers (Sara Aitken, Grace Blair, Finlay Byrne, Zoe Crawford, Ava Gallacher, Isla MacKenzie, Keziah and Lexine McCappin, Ewan McMahon, Emma Silcock, Ava Steele and Victoria Weir) were in excellent form in the final swim meet before SNAGS.

District-level meets are always of a very high standard and the swimmers demonstrated the current strength of the club by producing the following medal winners: Emma Silcock (1st 50m fly), Zoe Crawford (1st 50m fly), Grace Blair (3rd 100m breastroke, 3rd 200m breastroke), Lexine McCappin (1st 200m fly, 1st 200m IM, 1st 100m fly, 3rd 100m breastroke), Victoria Weir (2nd 100m breastroke, 3rd 50m breastroke).