CARNEGIE Swimming Club began their defence of the East District Championships at Glenrothes last weekend where the swimming programme featured the 400, 800 and 1500 metres events.

Ellie Turner, at 11 one of the youngest competitors gaining an entry time, had a great weekend, with substantial personal best swims in her three events; a 20- and eight-second improvement saw her finish sixth in the 800m freestyle and then fourth in the 400m freestyle.

However, her best swim followed a 15-second improvement on her entry time in the 400m individual medley to win the title and become East District champion. During the same event she also set a new personal best time for the lead-off leg, in the 100m butterfly.

There were good 400m freestyle and individual medley personal best swims too from Levi Wilson, Jessica McKee and Naeve Davidson in the 12 and under age group, from 13-year-olds Eilidh Gaughan and Joanna Rae in the freestyle, and from Claire Lee in the 15-years age group.

Samantha Caulfield was just outside the medals in the 16 and over category despite a 20-second personal best swim.

Eilidh Collyer finished second in the 14 years 400m freestyle with a four-second personal best and Lauren Sutherland also finished second in the 15 years age group just ahead of Carnegie team-mate Claire Moloney, who won the bronze medal.

There were two other silver medals for Lauren Sutherland in the 15 years 400m individual medley and freestyle and another bronze for Claire Moloney in the 400m individual medley.

In the 16 and over category, Tain Bruce won gold, followed by Samantha Caulfield in second place. Samantha also won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle.

Morven Lister set a 13-second personal best, competing in the 12 and unders, and there were good personal bests also for Naeve Davidson, Jessica McKee and Niamh Moloney, for 14-year-old Eilidh Collyer, for 15-year-old Kelsey Robertson and Erin Rafferty (16) in the 400m freestyle.

In the 400m individual medley Rebecca Braid set a personal best in the 12 and under age group, as did Joanna Rae.

Callum Hillis followed a fourth place in the 12 and under boys’ 400m freestyle with fifth in the 1500m freestyle before getting a well-earned third place medal in the 400m individual medley.

Kieran Rafferty and Cameron Stirling also set new personal bests in the 12 and under age group in the 400m individual medley and freestyle. Keir Edgar finished second in the 400m freestyle, Greig Rowe finished fourth, followed closely by Harris Bruce and Callum Barnes, all of whom set new personal best times in the 13 years age group. They, along with 14-year-old Finlay Nesbit, repeated this in the 1500m freestyle, with Callum Barnes taking more than a minute off his entry time.

Keir also won silver in the 1500m freestyle and bronze in the 400m individual medley. Greig was also fourth in the 400m individual medley.

James Beattie had two fourth-place finishes in the 400m freestyle and 1500m freestyle before winning his first individual medal of the championship, with a fantastic silver in the 400m individual medley.

Fraser Beeby accompanied his gold medal in the 1500m freestyle with bronze medals in both the 15 years 400m freestyle and individual medley. Fraser was followed closely by Ruairidh Lawless and James Collyer in fourth and fifth place in the 400m freestyle. James was fourth also in the 400m individual medley, with Ruairidh sixth.

Craig McLean was second in the 16 years and over 400m freestyle and fourth in the 1500m freestyle just behind team-mate Jack Szaranek who won bronze. Craig completed his weekend with a gold in the 400m individual medley. Cameron Nelson, Craig Barnes and Jack Szaranek finished fifth, sixth and seventh.

Bartosz Gacki improved his 400m freestyle entry time by nine seconds and Kieran Rafferty also set a new personal best time.

Matthew King, Owen Strachan and Finlay Nesbit all set personal bests in the 14 years age group and 15-year-old Aiden Mitchell improved his time by 10 seconds and also set new personal bests in the 400m individual medley and 1500m freestyle.

This was an exhausting weekend for the swimmers who returned to training again on Monday having amassed a total of 21 medals and more than 60 personal best times. It provides a firm basis for the next stage of 200m events in four weeks’ time.

The club now lies in second place in the championship overall and will be hoping to close the gap on the leaders next time around.