Teletots are unfortunate away to the Seasiders

The Banbridge team was given the warmest of welcomes and a host of home team and visiting spectators ensured the atmosphere was lively from the outset.

In traditional style the 4 x 25M medley team relays started the event with Banbridge Groups A, B and D swimming well but having to settle for second place to Bangor. Group C swimmers Patrick McNiff, Jodi Doyle, Elli Robinson and Caoln Quinn swam brilliantly and won convincingly giving confidence to all going into the individual events.

With no 2001 girls on the Banbridge squad the very young Group A girls did themselves proud in 25m backstroke with seven year old Lois Lyttle securing third place and James Whan having a fantastic swim to take second for Group A boys with Daniel Kilpatrick in fourth.

Olivia Knox was a force to be reckoned with winning comfortably for Group B girls with Alex Donnelly maintaining similar form with a win supported by Ryan Porter in third. Our ever reliable Jodi Doyle met her match in Bangor in the fantastic Emma Reid, and for the first time in three years swimming Teletots had to settle for second place, with Elli Robinson in third.

Patrick McNiff and Ross Johnston also secured second and third place for the Group C boys. In Group D joint team captains for the girls, Poppy Robinson and Esme Hall, faced good friends and rivals Gemma Kane and Emma Henderson from Bangor and had to settle for third and fourth. Boys team captain Lewis Houston finished the individual backstroke event with third place points.

Keeping the pace fast and support strong the swimmers commenced the 25m individual breaststroke event with Group A girls and Caitlin Kearney in fourth place, followed by Daniel Kilpatrick (second) and Harry Farson third for the boys.

Olivia Knox had another convincing win for Group B girls with Emma McElderry in second and Alex Donnelly was second and Ryan Porter third for the boys.

In Group C Jodi Doyle and Elli Robinson won valuable points in second and third place and Patrick McNiff had an excellent first place for the boys.

In Group D Esme Hall lost out on the winning position by the narrowest of margins with Poppy Robinson in fourth and the breaststroke event finished with Lewis Houston in fourth place.

The 25m butterfly saw Group A’s Lois Lyttle in fourth place for the girls and Group A boys Harry Farson and Thomas Hall securing second and third place points for the boys.

Olivia Knox was again setting the pace in first place for Group C girls and Alex Donnelly and James Neil were consistently good with second and third place points for the boys.

In Group C Jodi Doyle was second and Elli Robinson third for the girls and Caoln Quinn was second for the boys. In Group D Esme Hall was second and Poppy Robinson thirrd for the girls while Lewis Houston was third for the boys.

In the final individual event, 25m freestyle, Lois Lyttle was fourth for Group A girls and Daniel Kilpatrick second and Harry Farson third for the boys. In Group B Olivia Knox took no chances and stormed home with a two second advantage in first place with Alex Donnelly and Ryan Porter picking up second and third place points for the boys.

In Group C Jodi Doyle and Elli Robinson were second and third for the girls and Caoln Quinn was second for the boys. In the closing individual events for Group D Esme Hall was third and Poppy Robinson fourth and Lewis Houston was second for Group D boys.

The event finished with the 4 x 25M Freestyle relays with Group B swimmers Bethany Wilson-Parry, Ryan Porter, Alex Donnelly and Olivia Knox giving every last ounce of energy, to the cheers of the Banbridge supporters, to win by the narrowest of margins.

Closing comments were made by a very young and capable Bangor spokesperson who thanked Banbridge for a fantastic event and announced Bangor to be the winners by 230-170.

Bangor hosted all the swimmers and spectators to a fabulous tea after the event and where there was never any question as to whether Banbridge had done enough to beat the mighty Bangor the visiting Banbridge team left happy in defeat as they had competed to the highest of standards and had given their supporters much to cheer about.

Banbridge Teletots will be back in action on February 7 away to Lisburn ASC. For further information visit our website on www.banbridgeasc.co.uk.