Halifax College came out on top as college sport took to the pool last week in the annual College Swimming Gala.
The event took place at a bustling Archbishop Holgate pool, where there was a full roster of races. With college sport points up for grabs and with only one male and one female University swimmer allowed per college, it rested on the colleges to unearth hidden swimming gems.
In the women’s races there was no clear strongest college, with all teams performing strongly and picking up good results, with Halifax and Derwent perhaps edging results.
However, in the men’s races Halifax dominated, with victories and second places in most of the men’s races they pulled away to what became an emphatic victory. The biggest shock of the night was perhaps Alcuin’s showing, finishing seventh, and failing to field competitors in several races. They may live to rue missing out on valuable college points.
Although there were some mismatches, in the men’s 50m freestyle in particular, with Chris Lloyd of Halifax winning his heat by nearly a length. Most races were closely contested affairs, with the top two places in the men’s backstroke decided by a matter of centimetres.
Charles Morton, York Swimming Club President praised the event, ”It was really good to see so many talented swimmers getting involved and competing to such a high standard. It is important that there is an opportunity for swimmers who might not be up to University standard to compete, I would encourage any of the swimmers here tonight to come to our training sessions.”
Halifax sports rep Mark Lund commented, “There was a great atmosphere here tonight, which just shows the enthusiasm people have for College sport. I’m really proud of all our swimmers and thankful to all the spectators who made it such a great event.”