RTSC Gala Reports

Saturday 17th September - David Jacobs Memorial Gala - Southbury LC

Saturday saw Romford hosting its inaugural sprint meet and paying a fitting tribute to David Jacobs a fond and past member of the club who tragically lost his battle to cancer earlier in the year.

Despite it being the start of the new season this was an opportunity for some swimmers to gain county times and for others to see where they are after just a couple of weeks of training. Being a sprint meet the format of the gala was fast and furious with races over 50 metres in each stroke and a 100 metres Individual Medley.

The first of the races was the Girls 50 metres Freestyle in which Romford had a number of swimmers finishing in the top three positions in each age group:

• 9 years: Martha Merritt 2nd
• 10 years: Jessica Ayling 1st
• 11 years: Georgia Milton 3rd
• 12 years: Hannah Binning 1st, Erin Corney 2nd
• 13 years: Bethany Moore 1st, Mollie Merritt 3rd
• 14 + years: Nicola Rees 1st

In the Boys 50 metres Freestyle, Town swimmers were well represented:

• 9 years: James Cooper 1st, Jude Ward 3rd
• 10 years: Jack Rice 1st, Billy Harrison 3rd
• 11 years: Mitchell Wilson 1st, Jacob Smith 3rd
• 12 years: Tommy Beardsell 1st

The next event of the evening was the Girls and Boys 50 metres Breaststroke, a stroke David Jacobs had previously held County records at in addition to gaining a silver medal at National Age Group Championships.

In the Girls 50 metres Breaststroke the following gained top three placings:

• 9 years: Emily Milton 3rd
• 10 years: Jessica Ayling 1st
• 11 years: Georgia Milton 3rd
• 12 years: Hannah Binning 1st, Erin Corney 3nd
• 13 years: Jodi Whitehead 1st
• 14 years: Amy Harris 1st

In the Boys 50 metres Breaststroke:

• 9 years: Joe Lomas 1st, James Cooper 2nd
• 10 years: Jack Rice 1st, Billy Harrison 2nd
• 11 years: Mitchell Wilson 1st, Jacob Smith 3rd
• 12 years: Tommy Beardsell 1st

In the 100 metres Individual Medley it was a chance for swimmers to bring all their strokes together as they competed over 25 metres of each stroke:

The girls top three placings:

• 9 years: Martha Merritt 2nd, Emily Milton 3rd
• 10 years: Jessica Ayling 2nd
• 11 years: Chloe Thompson 3rd
• 12 years: Erin Corney 1st Hannah Binning 2nd
• 13 years: Jodi Whitehead 1st, Bethany Moore 2nd, Stephanie Tomlinson 3rd
• 14 years: Nicola Rees 2nd, Bethaney Hall 3rd

In the Boys 100 metres Medley the following Romford swimmers achieved a top three position:

• 9 years: James Cooper 1st , Joe Lomas 2nd , Jude Ward 3rd
• 10 years: Jack Rice 1st , Billy Harrison 2nd
• 11 years: Mitchell Wilson 1st , Daniel Weston 3rd
• 12 years: Tommy Beardsell 2nd

With the medleys over the second half of the evening’s races left the 50 metres Backstroke and Butterfly to be contested.

Once again Romford’s girls were well represented and in the 50 metres Backstroke the following made the top three:

• 9 years: Emily Milton 3rd
• 10 years: Jessica Ayling 2nd
• 11 years: Georgia Milton 3rd
• 12 years: Erin Corney 1st Hannah Binning 2nd
• 13 years: Jodi Whitehead 1st, Bethany Moore 2nd, Amy Marren 3rd
• 14 + years: Victoria Christmas 3rd

In the Boys 50 metres Backstroke:

• 9 years: James Cooper 1st Joe Lomas 2nd
• 10 years: Billy Harrison 1st
• 11 years: Mitchell Wilson 2nd Jacob Smith 3rd
• 12 years: Tommy Beardsell 3rd
• 13 years: Patrick Rourke 3rd

The final event of the evening was the 50 metres Butterfly. In the Girls age group the following gained top three placings:

• 9 years: Martha Merritt 2nd
• 10 years: Fern Stuart 2nd
• 11 years: Chloe Thompson 3rd
• 12 years: Erin Corney 1st Hannah Binning 2nd
• 13 years: Bethany Moore 1st Sophie Ward 2nd Stephanie Tomlinson 3rd
• 14 + years: Nicola Rees 2nd

Boys 50 metres Butterfly:

• 9 years: James Cooper 1st Joe Lomas 2nd
• 10 years: Jack Rice 1st Billy Harrison 2nd
• 11 years: Mitchell Wilson 1st Daniel Weston 3rd
• 12 years: Tommy Beardsell 2nd Oliver Coles 3rd
• 13 years: Patrick Rourke 3rd

Well done to all those that competed not just those listed.

This proved a valuable source of competition for everyone so early in the season and now with a lot of hard work we can look forward to season 2011/12.

Kevin Engstrom