In a feverish atmosphere at the Beverley Leisure Centre on Saturday night the Beverly Barracudas secured promotion to the First Division of the Ridings League with victory over their nearest challengers, South Hunsley B. Victory at the gala confirmed the Barracudas as divisional winners, although second place would have been good enough for the Beverley team.
The Barracudas put out a strong team for the gala and their power right across the age ranges was once again too much for their rivals as they homed-in on another divisional title, their third in a row in the Ridings League, which they only joined in 2009. The victory has ensured another promotion year for the Beverley Leisure Centre-based club as they climb through the divisions in their quest to compete against the likes of Scarborough in the Premier Division. The Barracudas, which were only formed in 2006, have had four seasons in the Ridings League, and are having one of their most successful seasons ever and have been putting Beverley on the swimming map, winning races at Sheffield and sending its biggest ever contingent of swimmers to the Yorkshire Championships, held in Ponds Forge next month.
The Ridings league gala series is structured in sets of eight races and, right from the start, the Barracudas set out their stall with victory in four of the initial eight relay races that kick off the gala, however, at this stage they only had a slender lead of one point over South Hunsley B, who won three of their initial eight races and had avoided disqualifications in all of their races, something the Barracudas had not managed. In the second series, Beverley had extended their lead to five points over South Hunsley thanks to victories by Daisy Evans, Hannah Falkinder and Ellie Mason. This was a lead that the Barracudas did not relinquish throughout the gala.
At the half way point of the gala, excitement was mounting amongst the crowd and the team as the Barracudas put in a number of winning performances, including victories by Seren Adams, India Adams, Luke Beecroft and Charlotte Brocklesby extending the home team’s lead to nine points over South Hunsley B and setting the team up nicely for the second half where the Barracudas once again piled on the points winning a further four races in the eight race series with an additional two second places.
This consistent performance by the Barracudas has been the hallmark of their success over the last three years and this gala was no exception with the team’s lead being extended further to 18 points, following victories by Isabelle Young, Kezia Barnard, James Braimbridge and Lauren Cooke.
It was in the next series of eight though that the Barracudas really showed their dominance of the division this year when they won six out of the eight races and would have won a seventh had the swimmer not false-started. These victories by Bertram Noble, Ellie Peaks, Natalie Willar-Sheehan, Max Evans, Elise Atkinson and Megan Lazenby all but secured victory for the Barracudas and this was confirmed in the final freestyle relay series where, once again, the Barracudas took the honours in five of the eight races.
When the results were annonced in reverse order, the crowd went wild when Driffield were named in second place, confirming that Beverley had won both the gala and the division, and all the Beverley swimmers celebrated by jumping into the pool and shouting at the top of thier voiceei It was a great moment and a fitting climax to the season. The atmosphere in the pool after the gala was great with the other clubs offering their congratulations to the Beverley team and wishing them the very best of success in the First Division next year.
This was a strong, consistent performance by the club who finished on 152 points, 33 ahead of their nearest rivals on the night, Driffield who narrowly beat South Hunsley B who finished on 116 points, with Filey on 73 points. A number of new league records were also set by the club on the night, these were:
• Girls 12 years and under medley relay team;
• Girls 14 years and under medley relay team;
• Girls 12 years and under freestyle realy team;
• Boys 14 years and under freestyle relay team.
The final Ridings League Division 2 standings for 2012 were:
CLUB POINTS
Beverley Barracudas 15
Driffield 12
South Hunsley 12
Filey 7
Derwent Valley Devils 3
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Well done the Barracudas, swimmers and coaches, A fantastic performance!
Good luck in 2013!