Swindon Dolphin A team were beaten into second place by Trowbridge in the final of the 2012 Moonraker Winter League on a night interrupted by wobbly blocks and fire alarms. Local rivals Tigersharks came third, followed by Bradford-on-Avon,Salisburyand Chippenham.
Dolphin made a strong start, including an exciting dead heat with Tigersharks in the opening event and held a narrow lead over second placed Trowbridge until the half way point. An excellent spell by Trowbridge though enabled them to open a 10 point lead which they held until the end of the night. Dolphin were strongest in the older age groups; the highlights being some tremendous tussles with a Tigersharks team bolstered by University returners and old rivals Alex Jones, Aaron Lee and Jacob Roberts.
Final 1 Scores: Trowbridge A 195, Swindon Dolphin A 183.5, Tigersharks A174.5, Bradford on Avon 108,SalisburyStingrays 84, Chippenham 71
Over in Trowbridge an excellent performance by Dolphin B saw them achieve a third place finish behind winners Corsham A. Four disqualifications cost the B team dearly but should not detract from a strong showing where the girls Under 15 team of Bethani Crouch, Louise Gardo, Mya Bell, Lucy Bailey, Lauren Jolliffe and Gemma Lucas were particularly impressive. “The whole team gave their all and never gave up the chase,” said coach Jacky Gardo. “I was very proud of their commitment.”
Final 2 Scores: Corsham A191, Trowbridge B 138, Swindon Dolphin B 128,MarlboroughPenguins 123, Wroughton 116, Wootton Bassett Otters 103
Meanwhile in Salisbury, Dolphin C found the competition too strong with Warminster winning a keenly contested meet.
Final 3 Scores: Warminster 239, Tigersharks B 204, Calne Alpha 183, Durrington, Otters 176, Swindon 168, Westbury 165, Melksham Swordfish 134, Swindon Dolphin C 120
Although disappointed not to have won the overall competition, Chief Coach Louise Clayton took the positives from the evening. “There was great team spirit at all of the galas and these are important opportunities for the younger swimmers to gain competitive experience and to mix with and learn from the older members of the squad. This is always a keenly contested competition but also a wonderful opportunity to have some fun away from the pressure of open meets.”
