11 County Medals and National Selection for Doncaster DARTES in 50th Year
Doncaster DARTES swimmers won 11 medals and 49 top ten finishes at the Yorkshire Winter County Championships, as the club celebrates its 50th anniversary. Four of the club's National Squad swimmers have also been selected for a Swim England regional development camp, and one has been chosen for a national programme.
Across two weekends of racing, 40 DARTES swimmers took on the best in the county with two-thirds of their swims producing personal best times.
At the 13 and over competition, held at the John Charles Centre for Sport in Leeds on the 10th and 11th of October, 17 DARTES swimmers won five medals and secured 30 top ten finishes.
There was also success for the 9- to 12-year-olds, racing at Ponds Forge in Sheffield on the 17th and 18th of October, where 23 DARTES swimmers came away with six medals and 19 top ten places.
Yorkshire is one of the largest and most competitive swimming counties in England, with numerous talented swimmers and top-performing clubs. Swimmers must achieve official, verified Swim England qualifying times just to enter, making it one of the strongest county-level competitions in the country.
Next up is the North East Regional Short Course (25m) Championships at Ponds Forge on the 31st of October and 1st of November, against the best swimmers from Yorkshire, County Durham, Northumberland, Teesside and Tyne and Wear. 22 DARTES swimmers have achieved the qualifying times, and the club is hoping for more success.
In recognition of their achievements and hard work, four DARTES National Squad swimmers, Alex Belk (13), Freya Cooper (15), James Ellis (14) and Sofia-Elyse Sanders (14), have been selected for this year's Swim England North East Regional Development Programme Super Camp at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre in November. Only the top 30 boys and top 30 girls in each age group across the region are offered a place. The camp is a brilliant opportunity to learn from leading coaches alongside some of the best swimmers in the region.
James Ellis has also been chosen for the Swim England National Age Group Talent Development Programme for the 2026/27 season. The programme provides education and development opportunities alongside some of the country's most promising young swimmers.
Talking about the club's latest successes, Head Coach Dan Dickinson said: "Our swimmers delivered another epic performance at the Yorkshires, which felt fitting in DARTES' 50th year. Some of our squad members were swimming at this level for the first time, but they stood up on the blocks and went for it. Two-thirds of their swims were personal best times, and this is what we train for, week in, week out. The medals were the icing on the cake! I'm extremely proud of all 40 swimmers, and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do at the regional championships.
"For our four swimmers selected for the regional and national development programmes, this is a testament to their hard work and dedication, managing early morning and evening training alongside their education. The whole club is beyond proud of them, and they are excited to be given this opportunity."
DARTES is currently recruiting an Assistant Head Coach. Swimmers interested in joining the club can arrange a trial. For either, email [email protected]. For more information about the club, please visit the Doncaster DARTES website, doncasterdartes.co.uk.