Match Report 16.12.23 - Oundle v The Leys

On the 16th November, the swimming team travelled to Cambridge to compete in a friendly away gala at The Leys School. The team emerged victorious, despite several very close races. Not only did we welcome several new members to the team in this gala, but 22 personal best times were bested, and 2 school records were broken.

Despite the pool only having four lanes to swim in, the Oundle team managed to fill three of those for most races and put in some very impressive swims. I would particularly like to mention Ceris Lawrence (Sr 5) who swam an incredibly tough 100m freestyle race, narrowly beating her competition in a remarkable race. Not only that, but she broke the U16 school record for her 50m backstroke which has been held since 2019, achieving a time of 35.08 seconds. Mark Kharmetov (C 5) also swam incredibly well in his 100m freestyle event.

Both Morinsola Idowu (W 5) and Eloise Aliker (Sr L6) swam very impressively in their 50m backstroke and breaststroke respectively, both of whom stepped up to compete in races outside of their comfort zones. It was lovely to welcome Eloise for her first gala with the team. I also must congratulate the 25m Medley Relay team (Ceris Lawrence, Flavia Le Vieux, Izzy Bach and Morinsola Idowu) who broke the school record which has been held since 2009. Eloka Kachikwu (G L6) also achieved a commendable time of 34 seconds in the 50m backstroke race.

The team’s spirit, as ever, was very encouraging – especially when some of the races came very close and the competition from the Leys was fierce! I’m very proud of the team’s collective effort in the gala and their very many achievements. We look forward to our next gala!

Cecilia

(Girls’ Captain)