Published on:
14
November 2005
Around 150 primary school children took part in the 5th Annual Clackmannanshire Primary Schools Swimming Gala at the Alloa Leisure Bowl on Friday 11 November. Seventeen out of the twenty local primary schools sent teams selected from P5, P6 and P7 to this well anticipated event.
The first final of the morning was the event for children with additional support needs. This was introduced last year as a new event and is now firmly on the event programme. The event was very competitive and the final was a close call. Abercromby Primary pupil Luke McDonald took gold with an outstanding performance. Steven Johnston of Tillicoultry Primary took a well deserved Silver with Andrew Wright of St Bernadette's Primary taking Bronze. Pipped into Fourth, Fifth and Sixth place were Neil Carruthers (Lochies School), James Cochrane (Lochies School) and Jacquelyn Anderson (Claremont Primary).
Margaret Fannon of Clackmannanshire Council presented the medals to our winners. The Quality Improvement Officer for Additional Support Needs said she was delighted to have witnessed the swimming and commented that "the Sports Development team are doing a great job to ensure all our kids are achieving their best. The swimming was excellent!"
Supporter of local sport, Councillor McGill and Alloa Leisure Bowl General Manager Mike Mulraney presented the remaining medals to the top three finishers in each event. Mike Mulraney was impressed by the quality of the competition saying "Once again the standards have just seemed to improve. It is fantastic to see so many children being involved in competitive sport. I believe this event is indicative of the outstanding improvement in youth sport and participation in Clackmannanshire".
The competition for the overall winner Shield was very closely contested with several schools in the running and no obvious winner until all points were totalled and checked. The overall winners Shield was presented by Morag Clark, the treasurer of the CPSSA, to Amy Bell and Lewis McCormack of victorious Sunnyside Primary School. Tillicoultry Primary came a close 2nd place with St Johns P.S. grabbing the third place spot.
Councillor McGill commented "without the assistance from all the coaches, helpers and teachers, this event would not be the success it has been and the help from the staff at Alloa Leisure Bowl is invaluable. Personally I am very happy to see that the new Swimming Development Officer working alongside the clubs in Clackmannanshire is paying dividends in raising the standard of swimming in local young people."
Congratulations to all the swimmers who took part.
Thanks must go to all the swimmers, teachers and school team helpers, Sports Development team, staff from the Alloa Leisure Bowl and Alloa ASC volunteers for helping make this such a success.
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For more information please call Dawn Sorley 01259 222350 or email dsorley@clacks.gov.uk