BSSC Summer Social: Saturday 13th September
Events
Highlights from Harlow: BSSC on top form at joint open meet
BSSC and Harlow Penguins Swimming Club hosted their second joint Regional Qualifier Open Meet at Harlow Leisurezone on Saturday 22nd March.
The clubs welcomed over 300 swimmers, together with a packed gallery of 300 supporters and spectators from clubs across the region including Epping Forest, New Hall, Harwich and Brentwood.
BSSC was well represented, with 80 swimmers from across the Club – from our Junior squads to Masters swimmers. Our swimmers raced in 298 events, with 198 races resulting in personal best times. Thirty-three swimmers PB’d in every race.
Our overall medal haul was 177 medals – 86 gold, 53 silver and 38 bronze.
Ten swimmers from the Juniors squad were competing in their very first open meet, with three of them going on to secure top-three places: Ruby Penny (10) – Silver, 50m Backstroke, Lara Crotty (9) – Silver, 50m Butterfly and Otis Mastin (10) – Gold, 50m Breaststroke.
Congratulations to the following swimmers, who secured top-three places and personal best times in all of their events:
- Ailbhe Millsom, 9
- Morgan Richards, 9
- Harrison Dodwell, 11
- Edie Foster, 14
- Tom Hughes, 14
- Daniel Csincsak, 16
Five short course BSSC Club Records were broken during Saturday’s racing:
- Dylan Davenport – 50m Freestyle, male age 14-15, 24.73
- Taras Boiko – 100m Butterfly, male age 10-11, 1:12.25
- Taras Boiko – 200m Individual Medley, male age 10-11, 2:39.36
- Benjamin Green – 100m Backstroke, male age 9/Under, 1:37.71
- Ailbhe Millsom – 100m Breaststroke, female age 9/Under, 1:52.20
Full results:
9 years
- Ailbhe Millsom – 50m Freestyle Bronze, 50m Breaststroke Silver, 100m Breaststroke Gold, 50m Backstroke Bronze
- Benjamin Green – 50m Freestyle Gold, 100m Freestyle Gold, 200m Freestyle Silver, 50m Breaststroke Gold, 100m Breaststroke Gold, 50m Backstroke Gold
- Erin Millsom – 50m Breaststroke Gold
- Lara Crotty – 50m Butterfly Silver
- Morgan Richards – 200m Freestyle Gold, 200m Breaststroke Gold, 50m Butterfly Gold, 50m Backstroke Silver
10 years
- Alys Morton – 100m Freestyle Bronze
- Cian Millsom 50m Freestyle Gold, 100m Freestyle Gold, 200m Freestyle Gold, 50m Butterfly Gold
- Daniel Cara – 100m Breaststroke Gold, 50m Butterfly Silver, 100m Backstroke Gold
- Otis Mastin – 50m Breaststroke Gold
- Ruby Penny -100m Backstroke Silver
11 years
- Evie Lowers – 100m Freestyle Silver, 50m Butterfly Gold, 100m Butterfly Gold, 100m Backstroke Bronze, 200m Backstroke Silver, 200m Individual Medley Gold
- Harrison Dodwell – 100m Freestyle Gold, 50m Butterfly Gold, 200m Individual Medley Silver
- Joshua Green – 400m Freestyle Gold, 50m Backstroke Bronze, 100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke Silver
- Kenny Millsom – 50m Breaststroke Gold, 100m Breaststroke Gold, 200m Breaststroke Gold
- Linke Groenewald – 100m Breaststroke Gold, 50m Backstroke Gold
- Margo Martin – 50m Breaststroke Bronze
- Oliver Vaughan – 200m Freestyle Bronze, 50m Breaststroke Bronze, 200m Freestyle Gold
- Taras Boiko – 100m Butterfly Gold, 50m Backstroke Gold, 100m Backstroke Gold, 200m Individual Medley Gold
- Yana Patel – 50m Freestyle Bronze, 200m Freestyle Bronze
12 years
- Claudia Csincsak – 50m Freestyle Bronze, 100m Freestyle Silver, 50m Backstroke Gold, 100m Backstroke Gold, 200m Backstroke Gold, 200m Individual Medley Gold
- George Hall – 100m Freestyle Bronze, 400m Freestyle Silver, 50m Butterfly Bronze, 50m Backstroke Bronze
- Holly Fitzgerald – 400m Freestyle Silver
- Isabella Crotty – 200m Freestyle Silver, 50m Butterfly Gold, 200m Individual Medley Silver
- Luca Tse – 50m Freestyle Bronze, 50m Butterfly Silver, 50m Backstroke Silver, 100m Backstroke Silver
- Noah Conroy – 50m Freestyle Silver, 100m Freestyle Silver, 200m Freestyle Gold, 200m Individual Medley Gold
- Sienna-Lilly Hutchinson – 100m Butterfly Bronze
- Summer Miller – 200m Freestyle Gold, 100m Breaststroke Silver, 200m Backstroke Silver
13 years
- Anna Grimwood – 200m Freestyle Silver
- Emilia Cass – 50m Freestyle Gold, 100m Freestyle Bronze, 50m Breaststroke Bronze, 50m Butterfly Silver, 200m Individual Medley Silver
- Guy Spearman-Baines – 100m Freestyle Bronze, 200m Freestyle Silver, 50m Breaststroke Silver, 100m Breaststroke Gold, 200m Individual Medley Gold
- Isabelle Earley – 200m Freestyle Bronze, 50m Breaststroke Gold, 100m Breaststroke Gold, 200m Breaststroke Gold
- Lois Fields – 50m Freestyle Bronze, 400m Freestyle Silver, 50m Backstroke Gold
- Meredith Ting – 200m Individual Medley Bronze
- Sebastian Smith – 100m Breaststroke Silver, 200m Breaststroke Silver
- Zackary Haslett Fossey – 50m Backstroke Gold, 200m Backstroke Gold
14 years
- Benjamin Palmer – 50m Freestyle Bronze, 100m Freestyle Gold, 200m Freestyle Silver, 400m Freestyle Silver
- Chloe Richards – 200m Breaststroke Silver
- Edie Foster – 100m Freestyle Silver, 400m Freestyle Gold, 100m Butterfly Gold, 100m Backstroke Gold
- Elliot Hall – 50m Freestyle Gold, 200m Freestyle Gold, 50m Butterfly Gold, 200m Individual Medley Silver
- Meha Patel – 200m Freestyle Bronze, 200m Individual Medley Bronze
- Rose Conday – 50m Freestyle Gold, 100m Freestyle Gold, 200m Freestyle Gold, 50m Butterfly Gold, 50m Backstroke Gold, 200m Individual Medley Silver
- Samuel Bird – 400m Freestyle Bronze
- Thomas Hughes – 50m Freestyle Silver, 100m Freestyle Silver, 50m Butterfly Silver
15 years
- Bobbie Macdonald-Williams – 200m Individual Medley Gold
- Dylan Davenport – 50m Freestyle Gold, 100m Freestyle Gold, 200m Freestyle Gold, 50m Butterfly Gold, 100m Butterfly Silver
- Elizabeth Balaam – 50m Freestyle Bronze, 100m Freestyle Bronze, 200m Freestyle Gold, 50m Butterfly Silver, 50m Backstroke Bronze
- Emily Fitzgerald – 200m Freestyle Silver
- Zoe Opiyo – 50m Freestyle Silver, 50m Breaststroke Gold, 50m Butterfly Gold
16 years and over
- Beau Reilly – 50m Breaststroke Silver, 50m Backstroke Bronze
- Brandon MacDonald-Williams – 200m Freestyle Gold, 200m Backstroke Silver
- Daniel Csincsak – 100m Freestyle Bronze, 50m Butterfly Silver, 50m Backstroke Gold, 100m Backstroke Gold, 200m Backstroke Gold, 200m Individual Medley Gold
- Esme Stringer – 100m Freestyle Bronze, 200m Freestyle Silver, 100m Breaststroke Gold, 200m Breaststroke Gold
- Felice Chan – 50m Freestyle Bronze
- Freya Hadnutt – 50m Freestyle Gold, 100m Freestyle Silver, 200m Freestyle Bronze, 50m Backstroke Silver, 200m Individual Medley Silver
- Jack Deeks – 50m Breaststroke Bronze, 100m Butterfly Silver
- Keira Shaw – 400m Freestyle Gold
- Niamh James – 100m Freestyle Gold, 50m Breaststroke Gold, 100m Butterfly Gold, 50m Backstroke Gold
- Oliver Tom – 400m Freestyle Gold, 100m Backstroke Silver, 200m Backstroke Bronze, 200m Individual Medley Bronze
- Scarlett Joslin – 50m Breaststroke Bronze, 100m Breaststroke Silver, 100m Butterfly Silver
Half-term Breaststroke Clinic: Monday 17th Feb
Come and join National-level breaststroke swimmer and BSSC Coach Darren Tucker and National 50m and 100m Breaststroke champion Ella Greatbatch for our next-level breaststroke clinic!
Swimmers will work on breaststroke starts, turns and drills to increase confidence and help perfect their technique.
Where and when?
- Bishop’s Stortford College Pool
- Monday 17th February
- 5pm to 6.15pm
- £25
The clinic is open to all BSSC squads. Swimmers from other clubs are also welcome to attend.
Email headcoach@bsswimclub.org.uk to book your place.
Weekend Two: Top of the Counties medal table
BSSC swimmers were on sizzling form for weekend two of the 2025 Swim England Hertfordshire County Championships, returning from Westminster Lodge with 41 age group medals, 18 Junior Championship awards and six Championship awards.
After weekend two, BSSC are in top position in the medal table for the Junior Championship, second for age-group and third for Championship. Medal count:
Age group – 41:
• 19 gold
• 16 silver
• 6 bronze
Junior Championship medals – 18
• Gold – 10
• Silver – 4
• Bronze – 4
Championships medals – 6
• Gold – 2
• Silver – 3
• Bronze – 1
BSSC’s youngest swimmers
The two 10 year olds swimming in the 10/11 year age group at their first County Championships both performed superbly. Daniel Cara took an impressive eight seconds off his entry time and finished 4th in the 100m backstroke heats to secure a place in the 10-11 years final, where he finished a very respectable 5th place. Cian Millsom swam against very strong competition to secure a place in the 10-11 year 100m Freestyle final, where he finished seventh.
Three of the Club’s 11 year olds made their first appearance at Counties, with Evie Lowers, Linke Groenewald and Luca Tse reaching the Final of the 100m Butterfly, 100m Breaststroke and 100m Freestyle respectively.
Returning to Counties were 11 year olds Taras Boiko, Harrison Dodwell and Kenny Millsom. Taras Boiko performed superbly, winning golds in the 400m Freestyle and 100m Butterly, and silver in the 200m and 400m Individual Medley.
Meanwhile, 11-year-old Harrison Dodwell achieved personal best times and top-ten finishes in all of his events, including a four-second PB to reach the 100m Breaststroke Final where he was joined by team-mate Kenny Millsom.
Freestyle success
There were BSSC finalists in all of the male 100m Freestyle finals, with Cian Millsom (10-11 yr), Harrison Dodwell, Luca Tse and Taras Boiko (12 yr), Guy Spearman-Baines and Noah Conroy (13 yr), Benjamin Palmer (14 yr) and Elliot Hall (15 yr) all securing their places in the age group finals, and Dylan Davenport and Brandon Macdonald-Williams swimming in the 16/over final.
Top-three places were taken by Benjamin Palmer (gold), Elliot Hall (gold) and Dylan Davenport (bronze).
13-14 year olds
The medals kept on coming for the 13 and 14 yr age groups, with Noah Conroy taking silver in the Male/Open 13 yr 100m Butterfly.
12 year old Summer Miller added to her 800m Freestyle silver medal from weekend one, with five top-three finishes – gold in the 100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley and 400m Individual Medley and silver in the 100m Free and 400m Freestyle.
14 year old Benjamin Palmer dominated the boys age group Freestyle events, taking gold in the 400m and 100m Freestyle and earning second place in the 400m Freestyle 15/U Junior Championships.
Edie Foster took gold in the 14 yr age group for the 100m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle.
Medals in every event…
The older swimmers were on top form, with three swimmers in the 15 yr category winning top-three places in all of their events.
Elliot Hall had a fantastic weekend, securing medals in all of the Male/Open events he entered: golds in the 100m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle, 100m Breaststroke, 200 IM and 400m Freestyle, and silver in the 400m IM.
Rose Conday, also 15, medalled in all of her events, taking silver in the 100m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle, 200m and 400m Individual Medley and bronze for the 400m Freestyle.
Molly Greatbatch won gold in her 100m Breaststroke and bronze in the 100m Backstroke and 200m IM.
Finally, onto the swimmers in the 16/over category, with Brandon Macdonald-Williams taking gold in the 200m IM, newly-elected Club Captain Emma Fields taking the top spot in for the 100m Butterfly, Jake Lloyd 100m Butterfly and silver in the 400m IM and Niamh James 100m Backstroke and 200m IM.
Dominating in the relays
Saturday saw the 15 and Unders of Hertfordshire battling it out across 12 relay events.
The BSSC A relay teams in the youngest age group (13/Under) events finished with two silver and two bronze medals, together with a 4th and 8th place finish. This is an enormous improvement on last year’s Championships, where this age group came home with one bronze.
The junior championship (15/Under) medley team were incredible, with the mixed medley, female medley, mixed freestyle and female freestyle teams bringing home four gold medals between them. Full relay results:
Gold
Mixed 10/15 Medley Team: Rose Conday, Molly Greatbatch, Elliot Hall, Benjamin Palmer
Female 10/15 Medley Team: Lois Fields, Molly Greatbatch, Rose Conday, Edie Foster
Mixed 10/15 Freestyle Team: Rose Conday, Benjamin Palmer, Edie Foster, Elliot Hall
Female 10/15 Freestyle Team: Rose Conday, Molly Greatbatch, Emilia Cass, Edie Foster
Silver
Male/Open 10-13 Freestyle team: Taras Boiko, Harrison Dodwell, Guy Spearman-Baines and Noah Conroy
Female 10-13 Medley team: Elspeth Lowe, Linke Groenewald, Summer Miller, Isabella Crotty
Bronze
Male/Open 10-13 Medley team: Taras Boiko, Guy Spearman-Baines, Noah Conroy, Harrison Dodwell
Mixed 10-13 Freestyle team: Summer Miller, Isabella Crotty, Harrison Dodwell, Noah Conroy
Top-10 finishes
10-11 yrs
• Cian Millsom – 100m Freestyle
• Daniel Cara – 100m Backstroke, 100m Breaststroke
12 yrs
• Evie Lowers -100m Butterfly
• Harrison Dodwell – 100m Backstroke, 100m Breaststroke, 100m Freestyle
• Kenny Millsom -100m Breaststroke
• Linke Groenewald -100m Breaststroke
• Luca Tse – 100m Freestyle
• Taras Boiko – 100m Freestyle
13 yrs
• Guy Spearman-Baines – 100m Breaststroke, 100m Freestyle
• Jenson Richards – 100m Breaststroke
• Noah Conroy – 100m Freestyle
• Summer Miller – 100m Backstroke
14 yrs
• Benjamin Palmer – 100m Butterfly
• Emilia Cass -100m Freestyle
• Isabelle Earley -100m Breaststroke
• Lois Fields – 100m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle
16/over
• Adrien Storck-Wihlidal – 100m Backstroke, 100m Breaststroke
• Brandon MacDonald-Williams – 100m Freestyle
• Dylan Davenport – 100m Backstroke, 100m Butterfly
• Esme Stringer – 100m Breaststroke
• Freya Hadnutt – 100m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle
• Niamh James – 100m Butterfly
• Oliver Tom – 100m Backstroke
Age group awards
Gold
• Taras Boiko (12 yr ) – 100m Butterfly, 400m Freestyle
• Summer Miller (13 yr) – 100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, 400m Individual Medley
• Benjamin Palmer (14 yr) – 100m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle
• Elliot Hall (15 yr) – 100m Breaststroke, 100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley, 400m Freestyle
• Molly Greatbatch (15 yr) – 100m Breaststroke
• Brandon MacDonald-Williams (16/over)– 200m Individual Medley
• Ella Greatbatch (16/over) – 100m Breaststroke
• Emma Fields (16/over) – 100m Fly
• Jake Lloyd (16/over) – 100m Butterfly
• Niamh James (16/over) – 100m Backstroke, 200m Individual Medley
Silver
• Summer Miller (13 yr) – 100m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle
• Noah Conroy (13 yr) – 100m Butterfly
• Rose Conday (15 yr) – 100m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley, 400m Individual Medley, 100m Butterfly
• Elliot Hall (15 yr) – 400m Individual Medley
• Ella Greatbatch (16/over) – 100m Breaststroke
• Jake Lloyd (16/over) – 400m Individual Medley
Bronze
• Molly Greatbatch (15 yr) – 100m Backstroke, 200m Individual Medley
• Rose Conday (15 yr) – 400m Freestyle
• Dylan Davenport (16/over) – 100m Freestyle
County Championships 2025 campaign kicks off
Bishop’s Stortford Swimming Club’s 2025 County Championships campaign got off to a strong start on Saturday 11th January. This year’s competition has moved to Westminster Lodge in St Albans, and kicked off with the Mixed 800m Freestyle event.
BSSC was well represented with swimmers across the ages, comprising of:
- Noah Conroy, 10-14 years age group
- Summer Miller, 10-14 years group
- Samuel Bird, 15 years/over age group
- Bobbie Macdonald-Williams, 15 years/over age group
- Brandon Macdonald-Williams, 15 years/over age group
- Oliver Tom, 15 years/over age group
Our youngest swimmers, Noah and Summer, took a massive 40 and 37 seconds off their entry times respectively.
Congratulations to Summer, who secured silver for her swim, with a time of 10:20.19.
Sixty BSSC swimmers qualified for this year’s Championships, a significant increase on last year’s 43 swimmers and our highest number of qualifiers in recent years.
Will be back in action the weekend of 18th and 19th, including relays for the 13/Under and 15/Under.
