It was one of those afternoons that come along all too rarely in anyone's sporting career at Repton, but that are all the sweeter for it.
The Orchard Relay teams were optimistic that they would be there or thereabouts in the Caroline Tyler Relays, but the mood before the first race was one of apprehension, as though they dared not believe that they could win the whole event.
The first race, a comfortable win for the B Blockers, if anything, raised the stakes rather than settling nerves; A Block, who were in front in every leg, again won with a fair amount to spare, and all was set fair for the House. There was, therefore, all the more pressure on the O Block team, who had real pedigree, and, perhaps, the most to lose. That they held their nerve to dominate the third race in a row was immensely to their credit.
As the prospect of an outright victory hoved into view on the scarcely credited horizon, a very self-effacing Sixth Form team now felt that the chances of the House rested on their performance. In a very competitive race, against some of the best swimmers in the County, they were aiming for third; in the end, they managed a very commendable fourth, leaving us all to swim for in the Medley Relay.
As incredulity dissipated, this race developed into something of a romp, with Orchard entirely dominant after the first few legs, showing the strength in depth of the House's swimmers. It is invidious to single out individual swimmers, but the seemingly effortless grace of George Moss' and Ben Nevill's butterfly legs, which added a certain aesthetic class to what was already a comprehensive victory, really were the icing on the cake, and left no-one in any doubt that The Orchard were worthy champions. Rarely in recent years has House spirit been so palpable, and the support the boys showed each other, their appreciation of each other's efforts, and their good grace in victory, were a great pleasure to witness. A partisan observer might be particularly pleased that the Junior years were so untouchably dominant - the future looks very bright indeed.
The following pupils won what was the House's second Relays trophy in three years, and eighth title in the pool in five:
B Block: Elliot Hibell, Dan Hudson, Sam Peel, Jonathan Vincent
A Block: George Gould, James Johnson, George Kaczmarczyk, Felix Swinbank
O Block: Ben Nevill, Alex Nield, Jason Taft, Dan Vincent
6th Form: Andrew Bushby, Jack Edwards, Charlie Howard, Calvert Hyde-Barker, George Moss
Posted on
Fri, September 16, 2011
by Sport