Dolphins stars go gold in Sheffield (From Bournemouth Echo)

Dolphins stars go gold in Sheffield

5:49pm Wednesday 30th July 2008

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SIX young Bournemouth Dolphins are in line for call-ups to Britain's talent development squads after a medal bonanza at the National Age Group Championships in Sheffield.

The 11-strong Bournemouth contingent returned with a record tally of 10 medals between them.

Even more significantly, the medals were spread among four swimmers with two others also making finals.

Amelia Maughan with two golds and Joe Poynter with five silvers and a bronze took the top honours but Nathan Theodoris and Jay Olenicz also put on a show with a medal each in the same event.

Maughan, already the fastest 12-year-old in the British all-time list for the 50m freestyle, now holds the same honour in the 100m freestyle after her winning time of 59.04 in the 12yrs final.

She was more than a second ahead of her nearest rival.

She also won the 200m freestyle after clocking 2:11.45 in the heat and dropping to 2:08.99 in the final.

Joe Poynter went two medals better than the four silvers he won last year - but he must be sick of the sight of Matthew Johnson's feet.

The Leeds prodigy was the only boy between him and gold in 2007 and there was a repeat performance this time as Johnson won no less than ten golds in the 13yrs age group.

Poynter actually knocked 3.5 seconds off the British age group record with his time of 8:37.00 in the 800m freestyle, only to see Johnson clock 8:31.55 in the next heat.

The distant bronze medallist's 8:54.68 helped to put Poynter's silver-winning time into its rightful perspective.

The Bournemouth School pupil also won silver in the 200, 400 and 1500m freestyle (1:59.74, 4:14.75 and 16:28.71) and the 200m individual medley (2:18.52) and bronze in the 400m medley (4:45.63).

He was seventh and eighth in the 100 and 200m breaststroke finals (1:15.19 and 2:42.55).

The Dolphins double act came in the 13yrs 100m backstroke as Theodoris took the silver medal in 1:03.75 closely followed by Olenicz in the bronze medal position (1:04.67).

The Algarve-based Theodoris also came seventh in the 100m freestyle (57.24) and 15th in the 200m freestyle (2:06.48) and 200m backstroke (2:23.59).

Olenicz came ninth in the 200m backstroke final (2:22.32) and 24th in the 100m freestyle (59.93).

Other Dolphins finalists were Harry Thorpe with ninth in the 12yrs 100m backstroke (1:12.48, heat 1:11.12) and Natalie Moore, who swam through an injury for her ninth place in the 100m backstroke (1:09.70, heat 1:09.06).

Dolphins coach Graham Bassi said: I'm absolutely made up. Everyone swam well and to get ten medals and six swimmers in individual finals is outstanding.' Bournemouth's tally made them the fifth best club in the boys' events and ninth overall.

Ferndown's Naomi Vides touched second in the 13yrs 100m breaststroke in 1:13.89 but was still crowned age group champion for the third year running because winner Sycerika McMahon is Irish.

McMahon also won the 200m with Vides touching fourth in 2:40.86 for bronze.

Team-mate Todd Price made the finals of all six of his events and was unlucky not to win a medal at his first nationals.

His best efforts were fourth places in the 11yrs 100m butterfly (1:11.43) and 400m medley (5:33.75).

He was also sixth in the 100 and 200m freestyle (1:04.69 and 2:19.47) and 200m medley (2:42.244) and seventh in the 200m butterfly (2:40.57).

Noah Vides made the finals of both his events, coming seventh in the 11yrs 200m breaststroke in 1:24.52 and eighth in the 100m (3:04.47).

Peter Griffiths, Seagulls coach Barry Alldrick's first national qualifier, came within a fingertip of finals, finishing 11th and 12th in 11yrs 200 and 100m freestyle in 2:22.68 and 1:07.71.

Other results, Otters: 12yrs Ellie Beckwith 14th 200m back 2:23.15, 21st 100m back 1:12.91. 13yrs Naomi Vides Vides 15th 200m medley 2:30.92, 24th 400m medleys 5:20.51.

Dolphins: 12yrs Samantha Bush 23rd 800m free 9:56.59, 26th 200m free 2:18.92, 26th 400m free 4:52.93, 29th 100m free 1:04.53; Emily Moore 26th 800m free 10:06.60, 27th 400m free 4:53.33, 37th 200m free 2:22.01. 13yrs Natalie Moore 11th 200m back 2:27.33, 30th 800m free 9:53.28, 42nd 200m free 2:17.32.

Dolphins relay results: Boys 13th 4x100m free (J Thorpe 58.13, N Theodoris 58.98, J Olenicz 58.93, H Thorpe 1:02.19) 3:58.23. Girls 18th 4x100m medley (N Moore 1:09.62, A Hill 1:22.92, T Carter 1:15.01, A Maughan 1:00.27) 4:47.82; 18th 4x100m free (S Bush 1:04.17, C Rowan 1:05.74, A Maughan 1:00.80, N Moore 1:03.77) 4:14.48; 19th 4x200m free (C Rowan 2:29.20, S Bush 2:19.98, A Hill 2:26.98, E Moore 2:20.92) 9:37.08.

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