A squad of seventeen Killerwhales made the trip up to Nuneaton for this 200 & 400 metre event held at the fast Pingles pool in Nuneaton.
In a fantastic weekend the swimmers acquitted themselves well and finished 2nd in the top club awards, ahead of the hosts and marginally behind a much larger squad from the City of Peterborough.
Event placing's were in 4 age bands from 9/10 in Band A, 11/12 in Band B, 13/14 band C through to the 15 years and over group in band D.
Leading the way from both ends of the age spectrum were Harry Fox and boys Club Captain Lewis Clifford Stephenson. Both finished the weekend unbeaten in their age groups with 5 Gold medals each. Lewis also achieved two more National Qualifying times in the 200 Breaststroke and 200 individual medley, both well ahead of the field on the day. His other wins came in the 200 and 400 freestyle races and the 400m medley.
Harry Fox’s five wins were in his favoured 200m backstroke, 200 & 400 freestyle and the 200 & 400 medley events as he dominated the youngest age category with some very determined swims. The future looks very bright for young Harry.
There were wins too for Kalei Andrews as she won the 200 fly by a margin and took top spot in the oldest age group 400 medley. Kalei added silver in both the 200 medley and 200 back stroke.
Girls Club Captain Katinka Merchan won the 200 backstroke in fine style and clocked up new personal bests on her way to taking the silver in the 400 free and bronze in both medley events and the 200 freestyle.
James Roome was another to continue his good form at the weekend with a win in the 200 fly in the ‘C’ age group with another new personal best. James 400 medley brought him a silver to add to a 200 backstroke bronze. Connor Kearns, swimming in the younger ‘B’ age group was the ‘whales other winner as he came home well clear in the 200 Breaststroke. Connor also took bronze in the 400 medley.
Fifteen year old Tom Webb saved possibly his best race of the weekend for the final event late Sunday afternoon where a superb 200 freestyle gave him his second freestyle silver of the weekend. Tom also collected three bronze medals in the 200 back, fly and medley races. George Crow competing in the ‘C’ age band had a determined swim but was to settle for silver in his favoured 200 backstroke with the margin less than 0.5 of a second. He too finished strongly in the 200 freestyle and claimed his second silver in the 400 free and a bronze in the 400 medley.
Charlie Fox won silver in the ‘B’ age band 200 Fly whilst Danielle Rooke impressed in the 400 freestyle to win bronze ‘C’ category and take a huge slice off her previous best time for the event. Julia Braybrooke completed the medal haul for the whales with a hard swum 200 fly in the top age group to earn bronze.
Although out of the medals there were some fantastic efforts by others to earn new personal best times and those very hard earned Essex County Qualifying times. Alex Merchan led his heat from start to finish to smash his old personal best in the 200 fly and claim his second County qualifying time of the year whilst Tom Skingsley assault on the 200 freestyle saw him go faster then ever before in a very determined swim.
Rebecca Whyman and Georgia Shaw, competing in the ‘C’ and ‘D’ age groups respectively swam well despite recent illness with Georgia claiming a top six spot in the 200 back. Kieran Goodwin also produced new personal bests, particularly catching the eye with his fast improving freestyle and Toby Andrews swam well to take 7th spot in the backstroke event.
This pre-Christmas event was an excellent way to finish competition in 2009 for many of the swimmers and we look forward to more of the same in 2010!
And finally, a big thanks to Nuneaton & Bedworth SC for putting on an excellent gala.
In a fantastic weekend the swimmers acquitted themselves well and finished 2nd in the top club awards, ahead of the hosts and marginally behind a much larger squad from the City of Peterborough.
Event placing's were in 4 age bands from 9/10 in Band A, 11/12 in Band B, 13/14 band C through to the 15 years and over group in band D.
Leading the way from both ends of the age spectrum were Harry Fox and boys Club Captain Lewis Clifford Stephenson. Both finished the weekend unbeaten in their age groups with 5 Gold medals each. Lewis also achieved two more National Qualifying times in the 200 Breaststroke and 200 individual medley, both well ahead of the field on the day. His other wins came in the 200 and 400 freestyle races and the 400m medley.
Harry Fox’s five wins were in his favoured 200m backstroke, 200 & 400 freestyle and the 200 & 400 medley events as he dominated the youngest age category with some very determined swims. The future looks very bright for young Harry.
There were wins too for Kalei Andrews as she won the 200 fly by a margin and took top spot in the oldest age group 400 medley. Kalei added silver in both the 200 medley and 200 back stroke.
Girls Club Captain Katinka Merchan won the 200 backstroke in fine style and clocked up new personal bests on her way to taking the silver in the 400 free and bronze in both medley events and the 200 freestyle.
James Roome was another to continue his good form at the weekend with a win in the 200 fly in the ‘C’ age group with another new personal best. James 400 medley brought him a silver to add to a 200 backstroke bronze. Connor Kearns, swimming in the younger ‘B’ age group was the ‘whales other winner as he came home well clear in the 200 Breaststroke. Connor also took bronze in the 400 medley.
Fifteen year old Tom Webb saved possibly his best race of the weekend for the final event late Sunday afternoon where a superb 200 freestyle gave him his second freestyle silver of the weekend. Tom also collected three bronze medals in the 200 back, fly and medley races. George Crow competing in the ‘C’ age band had a determined swim but was to settle for silver in his favoured 200 backstroke with the margin less than 0.5 of a second. He too finished strongly in the 200 freestyle and claimed his second silver in the 400 free and a bronze in the 400 medley.
Charlie Fox won silver in the ‘B’ age band 200 Fly whilst Danielle Rooke impressed in the 400 freestyle to win bronze ‘C’ category and take a huge slice off her previous best time for the event. Julia Braybrooke completed the medal haul for the whales with a hard swum 200 fly in the top age group to earn bronze.
Although out of the medals there were some fantastic efforts by others to earn new personal best times and those very hard earned Essex County Qualifying times. Alex Merchan led his heat from start to finish to smash his old personal best in the 200 fly and claim his second County qualifying time of the year whilst Tom Skingsley assault on the 200 freestyle saw him go faster then ever before in a very determined swim.
Rebecca Whyman and Georgia Shaw, competing in the ‘C’ and ‘D’ age groups respectively swam well despite recent illness with Georgia claiming a top six spot in the 200 back. Kieran Goodwin also produced new personal bests, particularly catching the eye with his fast improving freestyle and Toby Andrews swam well to take 7th spot in the backstroke event.
This pre-Christmas event was an excellent way to finish competition in 2009 for many of the swimmers and we look forward to more of the same in 2010!
And finally, a big thanks to Nuneaton & Bedworth SC for putting on an excellent gala.
Report of Nuneaton & Bedworth Gala 5th & 6th December 2009.
