RTSC Gala Reports

Saturday 11th October - Essex Mini League - Chelmsford

Another very inexperienced Town team won their final Mini League gala of the season

Town needed a healthy points tally to further their bid to retain the Essex Mini League title and a winning score of 161 points means that they will be crowned League Champions if Colchester fail to win 198 points in their final gala next week.

However, the picture wasn't looking quite so rosy at the start. Town's resources were already stretched with some swimmers having achieved promotion to the National Speedo team on the same night. Therefore the failure of a couple of swimmers to turn up on the night caused a lot of reshuffling and headscratching for Geoff and his assistants.

Elly Pereira got early points on the board with 3rd place in the Girls 11 and under 50m Backstroke event. Toby Mascall then swam an excellent PB, but scored no points for beating the cut-off time in the Boys event.

Debutant Lois Loucaides joined Hannah Binning, Maddie Webber and Chloe Thompson in the 9 year old Girls Breaststroke Relay team and this quartet astonished everyone with another "time-fault". There were then two debuts amongst the boys team with Sam Fitzroy and Robert Benson joining Mitchell Wilson and Max Stuart for an encoraging 3rd place.

Sam Coker picked up our first win of the night in the Boys 10 and under 50m Backstroke and Josh Rogers gained second place in the 13 and under Freestyle.

Karina Battie fought hard for 3rd place in the Girls Open 50m Butterfly, but it took an impressive set of Breaststroke results to lift Town from a distant 4th place overall and back into contention. Maddie Webber won the Girls 10 and under and Jonathan Toolis was 2nd in the Boys. Likewise, Laura Brooks won the Girls 11 and under and Connor Houlihan was 2nd in the Boys.

Karina was joined by Gabby Wallace, Alex Rose and 11 year old Jade Kenealy for the Open Girls Freestyle Relay, but unfortunately they were too fast to score any points. The Open Boys, however, just managed to stay inside the cut-off time, so Andrew Ward, David Ward, Billy Bass and Connor Houlihan claimed the 5 points for their win.

Oliver Coles picked up 3rd place in the Boys 10 and under Freestyle, as did 10 year old Jodi Whitehead in the Girls 11 and under event. Sam Coker claimed his second win of the night in the Boys 11 and under event.

Due to the "no-shows", 11 year old Rosie Webber was at the last minute pushed up to the Open Backstroke and still managed a good 3rd place. Likewise, 12 year old Josh Rogers stepped up for the Boys Open and a great swim earned second place.

More good Breastroke points followed with Courtney Wilson 2nd in the Girls 13 and under and Michael Fearon winning in style for the Boys.

At the half-way point Town had clawed their way up to 1st place, accruing 75 points, exactly half of the 150 points target set at the beginning.

The Girls squadron Butterfly Relay team of Victoria Bishop, Jodi Whitehead, Elly Perriera, Sophie Thompson, Brock Whiston and Hannah Coles did well to take second. Whilst the Boys team of newcomer Zac Coleman, Toby Mascall, Charlie Davis, Conor Toolis, David Ward and Andrew Ward claimed first place.

There followed a win for Elly Perriera, Laura Brooks, Jade Kenealy and Chloe Thompson (8 years) in the Girls 11 and under Freestyle Relay. Charlie Davis, Toby Mascall, Billy Davis (9 years) and Sam Coker were 2nd for the Boys.

Third places were achieved by Shara Islam and Charlie Davis in the 13 and under Backstroke events. There was also a third place for Alex Rose in the Girls Open Freestyle and David Ward was second in the Boys Open Freestyle.

Our 9 year old Girls Freestyle Relay team of Victoria Bishop, Hannah Binning, Lois Loucaides and Maddie Webber picked up a good second place.

The individual Butterfly swims usually provide a rich source of points for Romford Town swimmers and tonight was no exception. Jodi Whitehead was second in the 10 and under Girls whilst Connor Houlihan produced a very strong swim to win the Boys event. There were good wins too for Sophie Thompson and Conor Toolis in the 13 and unders. No points, unfortunately, in the 11 and unders, as both Rosie Webber and Toby Mascall showed their progression by going under the time limit

There was a win for Maddie Webber, Jodi Whitehead, Laura Brooks, Brock Whiston, Hannah Coles and Alex Rose in the Girls Squadron Breaststroke Relay. The Boys team consisting of Zac Coleman, Jonathan Toolis, Charlie Davis, Michael Fearon, Andrew Ward and David Ward were also first.

An excellent swim from Gabby Wallace won the Girls Open Breaststroke and David Ward continued to impress with a time-fault in the Boys Open.

A good points score in the final block of Freestyle relay events would clinch a win on the night and set Colchester a very challenging target. Town didn't disappoint, as Rosie Webber, Sophie Thompson, Shara Islam and Courtney Wilson were second in the Girls 13 and under. The Boys went one better in this age group with a win for Michael Fearon, Conor Toolis, Josh Rogers and Billy Bass. Maddie Webber, Jodi Whitehead, Chloe Thompson and Victoria Bishop were third in the 10 and under Girls and Connor Houlihan, Billy Davis, Zac Coleman and Oliver Coles were second for the Boys.

Final Scores:

1. Romford Town 161
2. Chelmsford 154
3. Witham 140
4. Clacton 135
5. Canvey Island 87

Well done to the following on making their Romford debuts:

• Robert Benson
• Zac Coleman
• Sam Fitzroy
• Jade Kenealy
• Lois Loucaides