2020 BUCS Championships Day 2 Live Recap

2020 BUCS LONG COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• February 14th-16th, 2020
• Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield, England
• LCM (50m) Course
• Event Channel
• Event Schedule
• Entry Lists (Draft)
• Live Stream
• Live results

As a reminder, full live stream of the 2020 meet will be available via the SwimSwam Facebook page. For the first time, we will be expanding our coverage to live recaps of all 3 finals sessions of the meet, which will include an embedded live stream.

• Follow SwimSwam on Facebook here to watch the live stream

We’ll have live event-by-event updates of all the action. Keep refreshing this page for updates.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Abbie Wood (Loughborough) 1:59.66
• SILVER – Candice Hall (Loughborough) 2:00.73
• BRONZE – Lucy Hope (Edinburgh) 2:01.64

Loughborough busted through with a 1-2 finish in the women’s 200m free tonight to get on the board early here in Sheffield. Abbie Wood, this morning’s 400m IM winner in that timed final, pushed to the wall first in a winning effort of 1:59.66.

Wood, who competes for the International Swimming League (ISL) NY Breakers squad, had never been under the 2:00 mark prior to tonight. Her best time to date was marked by the 2:01.14 logged at December’s Northhampton meet.

However, her time of 1:59.66 represents a new lifetime best, as well as the only swimmer to dip under that barrier in the final.

Candice Hall was next in line, touching just over a second later in 2:00.73, while Edinburgh earned a bronze, courtesy of Lucy Hope. Hope led the field in an opening 58.07 but wound up 3rd in 2:01.64.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Luke Turley (Bath) 1:50.45
• SILVER – Joe Litchfield (Loughborough) 1:50.67
• BRONZE – Lorenz Weiremans (Stirling) 1:51.07

Loughborough’s Joe Litchfield clocked the fastest non-guest swimmer time of the morning 200m free heats with an AM effort of 1:51.23. But, it was 19-year-old Luke Turley who took it to the basket tonight to reap gold in a time of 1:50.45.

Splitting 55.09/55.36, Turley fired off a near-personal best to out-touch Litchfield, with the former’s 1:50.45 sitting just outside the 1:49.76 he produced at the 2017 FINA World Junior Championships.

Turley had already won the men’s 1500m freestyle on night 1, so he is our first double-gold individual winner here in Sheffield.

Litchfield, who also has the 100m fly later in this session, secured silver in 1:50.67.

Not to be missed was Lorenz Weiremans picking up some big points for Stirling via his bronze medal placement.

WOMEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL

• GOLD – Cassie Wild (Stirling) 28.33
• SILVER – Jessica Shaw (Birmingham) 28.85
• BRONZE – Emily Crane (Loughborough) 29.26

Cassie Wild didn’t take any chances in tonight’s race, with the 19-year-old firing on all cylinders out of the gate to lead this sprint start to finish.

After hitting the wall this morning in a solid 28.46, Wild threw down a mark of 28.33 to check-in with a time just .01 outside of teammate Kathleen Dawson’s BUCS Record. Dawson swam this morning as a guest, registering the fastest heat time of 28.30.

Wild is already Great Britain’s 6th fastest performer ever in this event, owning a personal best of 28.18 from about 2 years ago. Her getting to the wall on top is another critical piece of the puzzle for Stirling to have a chance against Loughborough in the team points race.

Birmingham saw Jessica Shaw snag some points with her silver medal-worthy time of 28.85, while Loughborough’s Emily Crane collected bronze in 29.26.

MEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL

• GOLD – Liam White (Swansea) 25.63
• SILVER – Martyn Walton (Stirling) 25.90
• BRONZE – Joe Small (Swansea) 26.09

Swansea made it a 1 & 3 finish for the squad, led by Liam White‘s winning time of 25.63. He set the pace in this fast and furious battle to the wall, with Stirling swimmer Martyn Walton touching also under the 26-second threshold in 25.90.

Small sneaked in for bronze in 26.09 to round out the top 3. Craig McNally was the 4th seed from this morning, but was a no-show for this evening’s final, leaving an empty lane.

Of note, World Championships 200m back medalist Luke Greenbank was also in the race, earning some points for his Loughborough team with a 5th place finish in 25.27. We’ll see the 22-year-old later in the session to take on that signature event.

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL

• GOLD – Kara Hanlon (Edinburgh) 31.65
• SILVER – Megan Morrison (Loughborough) 32.31
• BRONZE – Katie Matts (Manchester Metro) 32.35

Edinburgh got its first gold medal of the evening by way of Kara Hanlon‘s winning mark of 31.65 in this women’s 50m breaststroke. Loughborough’s Megan Morrison produced a time of 32.31 for silver, while Manchester Metro’s Katie Matts wrapped up bronze in 32.35.

For Hanlon, her time this evening wasn’t too far off the Scot’s lifetime best of 31.48 she logged just this past January at the Luxembourg Euro Meet.

As for Matts, she retains her 3rd place finish from this same meet last year, where she took bronze in 32.14 behind national record holder Imogen Clark and Sarah Vasey.

MEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL

• GOLD – Craig Benson (Stirling ) 27.93
• SILVER – Archie Goodburn (Loughborough) 28.81
• BRONZE – Olly Crosby (Sheffield Hallam) 28.99

Picking up another gold for Stirling was two-time Olympian Craig Benson, with the 25-year-old punching a winning 50m breast time of 27.93. That upgraded his silver medal result from the 2019 edition of these BUCS Long Course Championships.

Benson was the clear leader in this race, beating out the next closest competitor, Archie Goodburn of Loughborough, by almost a second.

Goodburn, who took bronze in this event at the 2019 World Junior Championships, logged a time of 28.81 for silver, well off his PB of 27.83 from Budapest.

Sheffield Hallum’s Olly Crosby nabbed 3rd place in 28.99

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• GOLD – Marie Wattel (Loughborough) 58.95
• SILVER – Tain Bruce (Edinburgh) 59.76
• BRONZE – Yasmin Perry (Aberdeen) 1:00.76

French swimmer Marie Wattel represents Loughborough in BUCS swimming and she did so in spades tonight, reaping the women’s 100m fly victory in a quick 58.95.

After staking her claim on this event in the heats with a time of 1:00.32, Wattel kept the momentum going into the final, splitting 27.55/31.40 to hit the wall in the only sub-59 second time of the field.

Scottish national record holder Tain Bruce clocked a silver medal-worthy 59.76, just off her time of 59.38 that gave her bronze last year.

Aberdeen earned its first medal of the evening, with 18-year-old Yasmin Perry getting it done in 1:00.76 for bronze. That’s within a second of Perry’s PB of 1:01.00 put up at the 2019 British Summer Championships.

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• GOLD – Joe Litchfield (Loughborough) 54.35
• SILVER – Scott McLay (Stirling) 54.63
• BRONZE – Jamie Ingram (Manchester) 55.04

Fresh off his 200m freestyle silver, Joe Litchfield was back in the pool representing Loughborough in this men’s 100m fly. He led the heats with a convincing morning swim of 54.60 and managed to slice a few tenths off of that time to register 54.35 for gold tonight.

Stirling’s Scott McLay was in the lead by .05 after the first half, but let Litchfield get slightly ahead, enough to trail him by .28 when all was said and done. He finished in 54.63 to represent the only other swimmer under the 55-second barrier.

Manchester earned a bronze, as Jamie Ingram put up a time of 55.04.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• GOLD – Katherine (Kat) Greenslade (Edinburgh) 2:14.07
• SILVER – Charlotte Evans (Loughborough) 2:15.50
• BRONZE – Jasmine Iley (Bath) 2:15.63

It was Kat Greenslade who got it done for gold tonight in this women’s 200m backstroke, stopping the clock in a time of 2:14.07. That easily cleared the field, with the next closest competitor, Charlotte Evans of Loughborough, touching over a second later in 2:15.50.

Bath’s Jasmine Iley wrapped up bronze in 2:15.63 to keep it close for the lower 2 levels of the podium.

Greenslade’s time this evening lays waste to the 2:15.47 she registered last year to finish with the silver behind BUCS champion Chloe Golding (2:13.77). Greenslade’s PB rests at the 2:11.41 she threw down at the 2019 World University Games.

MEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• GOLD – Luke Greenbank (Loughborough) 1:58.46
• SILVER – Charlie Brown (Sheffield Hallum) 2:00.88
• BRONZE – Craig McNally (UWS) 2:01.58

World Championships bronze medalist in this men’s 200m back event, Luke Greenbank, set himself up for a win with a new BUCS Record this afternoon’s heats. In that earlier race, Greenbank clocked 1:59.46 but lowered that exactly a second to post 1:58.46 and get the gold with ease.

Sheffield Hallum earned another medal in addition to Olly Crosby’s 50m breast bronze, with Charlie Brown nailing a time of 2:00.88 for silver.

UWS’ Craig McNally, who wound up no-showing the 50m back, made an appearance on the podium in this longer back event, punching the wall in 2:01.58.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Emily Crane (Loughborough) 25.94
• SILVER – Emily Barclay (Loughborough) 26.05
• BRONZE – Rachel Masson (Edinburgh) 26.10

Loughborough women picked up some big points with a 1-2 finish in this splash n’ dash. Emily Crane got to the wall first in the only sub-26 second time of the field, producing gold in 25.94, while teammate Emily Barclay earned runner-up in 26.05.

In this super close race, Rachel Masson of Edinburgh surged to the wall just .05 outside of silver with 26.10 to round out the top 3.

Crane has a history in this event, positioned as Great Britain’s 37th fastest performer ever with her PB of 25.79 from the 2018 Scottish National Championships. She earned bronze last year here in Sheffield in 25.91 for a nice improvement between the 2 years, while last year’s gold medalist was Barclay in 25.76.

Barclay is GBR’s 4th fastest women’s 50m freestyle performer ever with the 24.94 she put up at the 2018 British Championships.

MEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – David Cumberlidge (Heriot-Watt) 22.37
• SILVER – Calum Bain (Stirling) 22.76 & Alex Bowen (Loughborough) 22.76

The men’s 50m free was super close as well, but it was 2019 World University Games gold medalist David Cumberlidge who pulled out the win in 22.37. That gives Heriot-Watt its first medal of the evening and further establishes Cumberlidge as a premier British sprinter.

Cumberlidge’s time in Naples last year was 21.97, the only sub-22 second swimmer at that Summer Universiade. That made him just the 4th British swimmer ever to dip under that barrier.

Tonight, Stirling’s Calum Bain and Loughborough’s Alex Bowen touched at the same time of 22.76 to co-earn silver.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• GOLD – Katie Matts (Manchester Metro) 2:28.07
• SILVER – Kara Hanlon (Edinburgh) 2:29.88
• BRONZE – Megan Morrison (Loughborough) 2:33.07

The same trio of medalists from the 50m breast stood on this 50m breast podium, albeit in a different order this time around. Matts topped the trio in 2:28.07, within a second of the 2:28.87 she put up for gold at last year’s championships.

Hanlon produced 2:29.88 for silver, while Morrison wrangled up bronze in 2:33.07. Morrison was the 2019 silver medalist in 2:31.89.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• GOLD – Tobermory Mackay-Champ (Oxford) 2:15.09
• SILVER – Craig Benson (Stirling) 2:15.33
• BRONZE – Nicholas Quinn (Edinburgh) 2:15.34

Last year’s silver medalist Craig Benson was hoping to race to another gold tonight after claiming victory in the 50m breast, but he was mildly upset by Oxford’s Tobermory Mackay-Champ. Mackay-Champ pulled away ever so slightly at the end to log a winning mark of 2:15.09, while Benson touched in 2:15.33

Nicholas Quinn was also right in the mix, settling for bronze in 2:15.34.

WOMEN’S 4×100 FREE RELAY- FINAL

• GOLD – Loughborough 3:43.47
• SILVER – Edinburgh 3:44.24
• BRONZE – Stirling 3:57.67

The Loughborough foursome of Candice Hall, Emily Crane, Abbie Wood and Marie Wattel took control of this women’s 4x100m free relay by the time all was done and dusted, collectively clocking a time of 3:43.47.

Hall produced a 56.48 opener, while Crane carried on with 56.38 and Wood did her job in 56.25. It was Wattel’s 54.26 anchor that really helped set the squad apart, however, easily representing the fastest leg of the entire field.

Edinburgh finished in the runner-up spot in 3:44.24, highlighted by Lucy Hope’s 54.58 anchor, while Stirling collected bronze in 3:57.67.

MEN’S 4×100 FREE RELAY- FINAL

• GOLD – Stirling 3:20.58
• SILVER – Edinburgh 3:23.21
• BRONZE – Loughborough 3:24.00

Duncan Scott threw down a menacing 48.53 opener to deny the lead to anyone else but Stirling in this men’s 4x100m freestyle relay.

Splitting 23.47/25.06, Scott’s leg was easily the quickest of the field and solid in its own right, checking in as the 13th fastest individual effort in the world this season.

Scott had earlier pulled off the upset over guest swimmer Max Litchfield in the men’s 400m IM in the timed final this morning, which you can read about here.

Stirling teammates Scott McLay (51.03), Lorenz Weiremans (51.15) and Calum Bain (49.87) helped bring the men to the top of the podium and earn big points to close out this day 2 finals.

Edinburgh earned silver, with Jack Thorpe hitting the quickest split in 50.23 on the 2nd leg.

Loughborough collected bronze, with Sam Irvine punching a sub-50 second final leg of 49.91.

BUCS Points Information:

• In each event, only the fastest individual from each institution will score points, i.e. where there is more than one finalist from the same institution only the highest-ranking will score points, the subsequent point scoring will then be determined by the rankings in the heats.
• Individual events will be scored by 1^st place being awarded 10 points, 2^nd place 9 points, continuing with a decreasing points scale for subsequently ranked placings in the order of 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point(s).
• Relay teams will score double points and only the team in the A finals shall score points.