Old News

We had five swimmers at this meet as part of the SAS team: Fraser Gordon, Ross Mackay, Rachel Masson, Holly Phimister and Andrew Thomson.

UDASC made it to 7 finals, with Holly Phimister winning the gold in the 100m breaststroke and silver in the 200m breaststroke.

Fraser Gordon was part of the 14-and-under relay team which took the gold in all 3 relays.

SAS was 4th team overall with 1 English team ahead of them and so they were the 3rd Scottish team.

On Saturday a group of swimmers represented UDASC at Westhill pool for the Dyce 8th Cromar Meet: Merryn Thomson, Stuart Masson, Luke Erni, Neil Thomson-Mitchell, Bronwyn Matthews, Catherine Ritchie, Hannah Gordon, Rachel Masson, Eleanor Leith, Laura Grant, Fergus Shand and Fraser Gordon.

Results were excellent all round, with a great number of HUGE PBs being achieved.

Special mention to Bronwyn Matthews who won the Gold in the 100m Free and to Rachel Masson who won the silver in the 100m Breaststroke, and also the 100m Backstroke, and Bronze in the 100m Fly.

The girls' 12 & over relay team (Hannah, Laura, Eleanor and Rachel) took the Bronze medal in the 4 x 25m medley relay.

Fraser Gordon held his own in the Open 50m swims, competing against up to 21-year-olds, and setting a new club record for the 13/14 50m Freestyle, but the 'swim of the day' had to go to Fergus Shand for taking the Silver in the 13/14 yr old 100m Freestyle.

Well done also to Merryn Thomson who, being the only 8-year-old to compete, set a new club record for the 8 & under 100m Backstroke.

Rachel Masson also set new club records for the 11/12 50m Freestyle, and the 100m IM.

If there is any outstanding sponsorship money from the December "Swim the Dee" event, please could you bring to training as soon as possible. Thank you.

The Community Centre is closed all day on Good Friday and so there will be no swimming that day. Training will recommence on Monday 31st March, and sessions will run as normal for the second week of the holidays.

Could all swimmers please check their hoodies to make sure they have their own - Rachel Masson has picked up an un-named hoodie by mistake. Rachel's hoodie should have her initials on it, and it was probably picked up either at Performance Night or at Inverness.

At the weekend a group of our senior swimmers travelled to Glasgow to compete in the Scottish Schools Meet. Fraser Gordon won gold in the boys 13-14 year old 100m freestyle (and so is Scottish Schools champion in that event!) and silver in the boys 13-14 year old 200m backstroke. Holly Phimister won bronze in the girls 15-16 year old 200m breast stroke. Everyone swam really well - our finalists were - Hazel Mackay, Holly Phimister, Andrew Thomson, Fraser Gordon, Ross Mackay, Sam Burgess, Hannah Gordon and Brad Arthur.

Following the very competitive distance championships which took place over several sessions before the Winter break, it's now time for the prize giving.

Members will be pleased to hear that the recent bag pack at the Co-op raised �310.61 for the club. Many thanks to all who helped out. The two raffles held on club nights raised �51.00. Once again, thanks to those who donated prizes to raise this extra cash for the club.

The club have organised a bag pack at the Aboyne Co-op on Saturday 1st December. In order to make this a success we are looking for swimmer and parent volunteer teams to cover 3 tills in one-hour slots. Please email Graeme Gordon at gordongang@tiscali.co.uk or phone 013398 86800 to book your slot. Thank you. The club is low on funds and needs your support - please help if you can.

Thankfully the work on the swimming pool is now complete and everything should be back to normal on Monday 12th November. Morning swim as usual at 7.00am. Please note that the water is still being heated, and may feel a little cool. Thank you.

Thanks to some of our coaches giving up their holiday time, we are able to continue training during the first week of the October break:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday mornings, 7.00 - 8.15am

Congratulations to the following swimmers who took part in the two day meet last weekend at Westhill - Brad and Coralie Arthur, Kerry Buchan, Sam Burgess, Fraser Gordon, Hazel and Ross Mackay, Rachel Masson and Holly Phimister. They all did extremely well with lots of PBs, Holly and Kerry both coming home with medals.

Due to squad progressions, Upper Deeside ASC is looking for new members, and will be holding a taster session at Aboyne Swimming Pool on Thursday 11 October at 5.15 pm. Applicants must be aged 7+ and be able to swim a minimum of 25m in at least two recognisable strokes. To reserve a place at the taster session, please contact Carol Sugden on 013398 86561.

Well done to all swimmers - lots of PBs all round. Special congratulations to Rachel Masson, Daniel Green, Brad Arthur and Fraser Gordon who set new club records with the 1500m Freestyle event.

Thank you to all who assisted at the SAS bag pack on Saturday. The total amount raised was �1,023.26. A big thank you also to Lindsey for co-ordinating this event.

It was a busy weekend as many of the club were representing UDASC at two meets: Westhill Minnows and Garioch 200. (Click here for press release)

Advance notice of an event not to be missed. SAS are organising a fun swim and barbecue on Saturday 1st September at the Stonehaven Outdoor Pool between 6.00pm and 8.30pm. There will be lots of fun in the pool and plenty of refreshments. Tickets are only �1 each - all other costs being met by SAS. This event is open to ALL club swimmers - not just those who are in SAS squads. Brothers and sisters, mums & dads, coaches, masters, helpers etc - everyone is welcome. If you are interested please email alison.mackay@virgin.net for tickets. Tickets will be distributed after the schools go back on 21st August. Provisional numbers required at this stage. Hope to see you all there!

The Club are selling Spree Books again this year - price �23 per book. Please support this fundraising initiative as it is one of the main ways in which SAS raise money for the good of all swimmers in the 4 clubs (Westhill, Banchory, Stonehave and Upper Deeside). The Spree vouchers give you the chance to try lots of new eating venues in and around Aberdeenshire, leisure pursuits such as cinema, golf, ten-pin bowling etc etc and and save money every time. You only need to use a couple of vouchers to get your money's worth and there are literally hundreds to choose from. So please consider buying a Spree Book - SAS will get �8 - �10 for every book sold so it's going to a very good cause. You could also ask friends, relatives and work colleagues if they are interested in buying a Spree Book. Any individual who manages to sell 5 books gets one free - so there's another incentive. Email alison.mackay@virgin.net with the number of Spree books you would like. Payment must be by cheque - made payable to South Aberdeenshire Swimming.

Lost Property

At the end of the Sprint Championships on 24th June I was handed a couple of items of clothing by the pool staff. If anyone lost a T shirt or a hoodie that day, please contact me on 86688.

Thanks

Caroline

North District Senior Development Meet - Banff

Ross Mackay travelled to Banff on Saturday 23rd June as the only representative of Upper Deeside ASC to take part in the North District Senior Development Meet. Unfortunately Coralie Arthur had been forced to withdraw after injuring her ankle at school the day before. Ross was "adopted" by the Westhill team for the day and was looked after by their coaches Jenny and Ben. He had a very successful day, securing 3 gold medals (50m backstroke, 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle) and 3 silver medals (50m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 200m Individual Medley). He also gained personal best times in most of his events.

Peterhead Mini-meet results

A squad of 11 Upper Deeside swimmers aged 9-11 took part in the Peterhead Mini-Meet on 16 June. Congratulations to Alasdair Bruce (9) who swam superbly throughout, taking gold in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly, and silver in the 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke. Well done also to Brad Arthur (10) who won silver in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle, setting new UDASC club records for both events in the process. The boys� 11 year old freestyle relay team of Brad Arthur, Alasdair Bruce, Luke Erni and Daniel Green took silver � a tremendous achievement as all the boys were swimming up at least one age group. Several swimmers gained new PBs, with Alasdair Bruce, Daniel Green and Neil Thomson-Mitchell achieving PBs in all 4 of their individual swims.

At this year�s AGM we must replace the following officers as current committee members will retire from these posts:

There is no prerequisite to have had a swimmer in the club for a long period of time prior to serving on the Committee, and this is an excellent way of learning more about the sport of swimming. In general, the Committee meet once a month to keep the general organisation ticking over.

We also need to find a new volunteer to take on the role of Child Protection Officer, as Maureen Forsyth, who has carried out this role for many years will also retire her post this year, having already extended her duty at last years AGM. This is not a Committee position, however could be taken on by someone whilst also occupying a position within the Committee.

Medal Presentation and Family Ceilidh - Victory Hall, Saturday 30th June

This social evening will start at 7.00pm with the Medal Presentation, and then once the formal bit is done we can all enjoy the evening Ceilidh, dancing to Andy Linklater and his band.

Bring along your own hamper and drinks (and glasses as well!) and we�ll provide the rest.

Entry will be free to all UDASC members and their accompanying family. It would be useful to have some indication of how many people we shall be expecting, and so it would be appreciated if you would ring Josie Hazley on 013397 55785 or email stephen.hazley@ukonline.co.uk to reserve your place as soon as possible.

Last weekend 3 swimmers from Upper Deeside - Andrew Thomson, Fraser Gordon and Holly Phimister travelled to Glasgow as part of the SAS team for the City of Glasgow LC Meet. This was a 2 day event which included a team from Iceland! This was a chance for many swimmers to improve their long course times to be entered for the Nationals at the end of June. Well done to Andrew, Fraser and Holly for improvements in their PBs. Congratulations to Andrew for his bronze medal in 100m breaststroke and to Holly for her gold medals in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events.

Thanks to all who helped out at the Jumble Sale on 28th April. We are not sure yet how much we raised, as much of the remaining jumble was sent to 'Bags for School' to raise even more cash, and we are still awaiting the total from 'Bags to School'. However, it is estimated that we have raised about �700, so well done everyone.

Eight swimmers from Upper Deeside took part in last weekend's Westhill Invitational Meet. This two-day event covered everything from 50m to 1500m swims. The likes of Kerry Buchan, Hannah Miley and Chris Chasser were just some of the names taking part. Good PB's were achieved by Fraser, Andrew, Sam, Ross, Hazel, Holly Miller, Holly Phimister and Kerry. Well done to you all, and congratulations to Kerry for taking gold in 100m Breaststroke and Holly P. for winning silver in the 50m Breaststroke." (Full results will follow as soon as they are available).

At the end of the Easter holidays Andrew Thomson, Fraser Gordon, Holly Phimister and Ross Mackay travelled down to Glasgow as part of the SAS team to take part in the Scottish National Age Group meet at Tolcross. It was a 4 day event involving swimmers from all over Scotland and as far afield as Portsmouth. All four swam extremely well and gained some excellent PBs. It was a great experience for them and one they thoroughly enjoyed.

Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Bridge of Don April Showers Meet at Northfield on Sunday - lots of personal bests and medals were achieved throughout the day. It was a very crowded and hot meet but the children rose to the challenge well done to you all!

Many thanks to Dawn Murphy who after many years coaching at Upper Deeside , has decided to move on. We have sent her a bouquet of flowers in thanks for her many years of dedication and support.

We also thank the various club members who have stepped forwards to fill the void created by Dawn�s departure. Their assistance in maintaining the coaching of our swimmers is greatly appreciated, and we are pleased to advise we have been able to maintain all sessions. Our thanks to, Katie Gordon, Anne-Marie Phimister, Rachel Green, Dermid Arthur, Rob McKay, Liz Cooper (ex-Head Coach), Evelyn Tivendale, Douglas Thomson, Graeme Gordon and Julie Brunnsman, all of whom will be sharing the load.

As always, we still need to bring more parents on to the coaching staff. Coaching within the club is an entirely voluntary position. Coaching training fees are fully funded by the club in return for a coaching commitment to the club. Several of our current Level 1 Assistant Teachers and Poolside Helpers are endeavouring to forward their qualifications, and there are Level 1 and Level 2 courses running in Aberdeen which they hope to attend. Anyone willing to give up a few hours per week to assist our young hopefuls, please contact any committee member, or speak to any coach on the poolside.

The lucky winner is Daniel Graham from Dolphins. Well done to Daniel - hope you have a good time, and a big thank you to all who handed in their Smarties tubes full of coins to boost our fundraising account.

Last weekend four Upper Deeside swimmers representing Aboyne Primary and Academy went down to Tollcross in Glasgow for the Scottish Schools Finals.

The tail end of 2006 saw children from across Scotland try out for these finals. Twenty finalists from each age group and stroke compete at Tollcross in January each year.

Upper Deeside Amateur Swimming Club, in conjunction with South Aberdeenshire Swim Team, are selling Spree books to raise funds for squad activities. All UDASC club members are asked to support this venture by selling books to friends and neighbours. For more details please click here or contact Jim Buchan 01330 850321 or email jim-buchan@drovebank.wanadoo.co.uk.

Certain swimmers have been selected to attend the South Aberdeenshire Heats for Scottish Schools. For more information please contact Dermid Arthur (email pandyarthur@aol.com) or click here.

Fees for Tadpoles, Dolphins, Killerwhales, Masters will all increase by �5 per term.

Fees for all other squads will increase by �10 - this includes the charge for land training which is available to these squads only.

Carol Sugden will shortly be issuing notes for fees which will be due on 15 Sept. All late payments will incur a 15% charge to cover extra admin time.

Westhill Swimming Club are running a Level 1 Assistant Teachers' Course from 18th - 20th October. Anyone interested should call 01224 744933 for more information.

Alford Otters ASC are holding a level 1 swimming teacher course in September, and they still have some spaces on the course. Click here for full details.

If anyone is interested in this course then please get in touch with Lynn Alderton, Alford Otters ASC Club Secretary.

Funding of the course may be available from UDASC for those who, on passing the course, are willing to commit to the club and help with coaching. For more details, please contact Anne-Marie Phimister. (Amphimister@aol.com)

The Jumble Sale on Saturday raised an amazing �954.10! A big thank you to all who donated jumble and to those who helped with setting up, home bakes, and on the day.

Well done to all who took part on Saturday 18 March. Particular congratulations to Charlotte Robbins and Andrew Thomson who broke records at this match:

Please note that as yet we have had no further offers of Corporate Sponsorship for the Challenge Meet on the 26^th of November. For the event to be a true financial success we must attract sponsorship. To allow the programme to be drawn up with sponsors� logos etc, details need to be submitted no later than Friday 18^th November. Your help in achieving this is greatly appreciated.

WELL DONE to all six of our swimmers (Kerry Buchan, Sam George, Andrew Thomson, Hazel Mackay, Rachael Firth & Alastair Murphy) who competed at the Scottish Nationals this week down at Glasgow. Just to meet the entry times for such an event is a significant personal achievement.

Kerry Buchan returns with: GOLDs in the Womens 50m Breaststroke Final and the Girls 16-18 Years 200m Breaststroke Final; SILVERs in the Womens 200m Breaststroke, Womens 100m Breaststroke Final and Girls 16-18 Years 200m Ind Medley Final
On top of that, Kerry made the 200m Breaststroke consideration time for next years Commonwealth Games to be held in March 2006 in Australia and was only 0.1sec outside of the 100m Breaststroke consideration time. (Note: Consideration Times are based on the 8th fastest time at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester !)

Well done to Sam George who made the finals in both of his events (Boys 11 yrs 100m and 200m Breaststroke) and achieved Scottish National age group records for his swims.

At the Jumble Sale we raised a grand total of �1,124.70. Many thanks to everyone who helped we couldn't have done it without you.

AGM now scheduled for Friday 24th June at 6:30pm. Immediately followed by a 'social' and prize giving.

There will be a Club Night (Canoeing) on Friday 27th May (6:30-8:30pm). Further details here

Saturday 26th March 10am to 4pm. A bag packing session has been arranged at the Aboyne Co-op. - Well done to those that turned up to help - you raised a grand total of �502.20

Jim Mieklejohn Retirement : Details

SAS : National Age Group Championships Relay Trials

The Relay Trials for the SAS teams at the Scottish National Age Group Championships will take place at Stonehaven Leisure Centre on Saturday 12 March from 5-7pm. Practice sessions will be as follows:

Please see the following selection procedure applicable to all swimmers wishing to be members of any SAS relay team.

Scottish Schools Championships - Tollcross, Glasgow 29th Jan 2005

Well done to Sam George for his swim in the 50m Breaststroke heats. His personal best time of 43.56sec resulting in him just missing out on a place in the finals. At the same meet, Andrew Thompson swam a personal best time of 35.89sec in the 50m Butterfly heats finishing 2nd overall after the heats. Andrew followed this up with a 2nd place in the Final of the 50m Butterfly with an even faster time of 35.25secs (new UDASC club age group record).

Archived News:

Peterhead Mini-meet results

Jim Mieklejohn Retirement : Details

SAS : National Age Group Championships Relay Trials

Scottish Schools Championships - Tollcross, Glasgow 29th Jan 2005