We took a team of swimmers to Lowestoft to compete in the Jeff Case Memorial Gala on Saturday 11th March 2017. We were competing against two teams from Lowestoft and one team each from Beccles and Leiston. The gala was divided into four age groups from those age ten and under right up to the open category for our older and adult swimmers. The two youngest age groups swam 50m races while the older groups competed over 100m.
The gala started with four free relay races, one in each age group and we finished second in three of the four which was a great start. There was then sixteen races across the different strokes, distances and age groups. We won three of these races (Nick, Frankie and Stuart) but got lots of great PBs as well. The medley relay races then took place and again we did really well, coming second in three of them. The gala continued with twenty four further races over a variety of strokes, distances and age groups. Again, we had some fabulous swims and this time eight first places (Beth twice, Brendan twice, Faye twice and one each from Thomas and Lewis). The event ended with two mixed cannon relays where eight swimmers each swam 25m. These are always the most exciting event of the night and we ended with one second and one third place.
Lowestoft Blue won the event overall and our team came an impressive third place, only seven points behind Leiston in second place. Please see the gala page for the full results from this gala.
Many of our swimmers swam up the age groups so that we could field a team so that makes our result all the more impressive. Special mention has to go to Caitlyn who received a call up mid afternoon and rushed to Lowestoft as a last minute replacement. Caitlyn did well, swimming in the open category at only twelve years of age and getting another PB in the process.