Pool stars scoop top crown again Second year in a row for club
Perth City Swim Club’s league team are celebrating after securing the Midland Premier Division title for the second year in a row at the weekend.
The team clinched the league at Olympia in Dundee on Saturday in the final gala of the five event series which has taken place throughout this year.
Second place on the night behind a strong host club was enough to secure the overall title after the club won three of the four previous galas.
Team manager Gordon Currie paid tribute to the full team, including the club’s volunteer officials and poolside helpers, for their efforts.
He said: “It really is a full team effort in the truest sense. It’s not just about the swimmers, but the parents and the sponsors who play a vital role too.
“Our team got off to a great start by winning the home gala back in February and they have been very consistent.
“The league offers a great opportunity for all our swimmers to gain race experience and represent the club.
“This season we managed to get more than 90 swimmers taking part at one stage or another, and that is what the league set-up is all about.
“They will all have learned something which will help them as they carry on their journey in the sport and hopefully some of them will go a long way in the future.”
Needing a top three finish to win the league on Saturday, the team came from behind to finish behind DCA and ahead of Monifieth, Kinross and Forfar.
Gordon said: “Our kids rose to the challenge and hopefully had a lot of fun too. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to get these galas on.
“A lot of our parents have been a great help, acting as officials, coaches and poolside helpers and they are a vital part of the winning team.
“And The Binn Group have been a massive support to the club, by covering the team’s transport costs for the whole of the 2019 season.
“They have also sponsored the introduction of a new League Star trophy for an individual who has made an eye-catching contribution at each gala.
“That award was given to senior swimmer Freya Bannerman, who has set a great example for our younger swimmers.
“On top of being club captain, Freya’s commitment to the league team was such that she re-arranged work shifts to ensure she could take part.
“She - and the other senior girls instinctively helped the youngest swimmers without waiting to be asked and, as a coach, that is great to see.
“We want to develop these youngsters as swimmers, yes, but it’s also important as coaches that we develop them as people too.
“And when you see someone like Freya naturally leading the team it trickles down and influences others who will hopefully take on that kind of role in the future.
“The Binn Group League Star award is important because it is about more than just who swam fast - it is about who contributes most to the team.”
Gordon added that planning for the 2020 season would start within Midland District in the next few weeks and the club would be aiming to make it three in a row.