RTSC Gala Reports

Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March - Essex Championships 2009 - Blackshots

Romford Town swimmers completed this year’s County Championships in spectacular style as they powered their way to 19 County Titles, 6 in Event Best Times (EBT). Despite Romford being the strongest all round performers, with Elena Sheridan securing the top overall ‘BAGCATS’ swimmer and three others, Sean Houlihan, Harriette Davis and Daniel Stepton, taking the awards for overall Top Swimmer in their age groups, Thurrock’s domination of the 9 years age group gave them enough points to retain the age group Trophy.

Top performer in the girls 14 years age group, Harriette Davis grabbed Town’s first medal of the weekend as she upset the form book to take gold in the 400 metre IM. In what is a new event for Davis, she powered her way to the front on the backstroke lap and maintained that lead through to the finish, taking gold with a time of 5mins 23.67secs. Team mate Louise Harrington took 4th spot. In the 16 years age group, Jessica Coles brought herself back into contention with a strong breaststroke lap to take silver.

In the next event there was gold and the first EBT for 10 years old Kieran Gore in the boys 200 metres IM. After a cautious start on the butterfly lap, he eased his way through the pack to take the win.

Elena Sheridan, Romford's winner of the Top BAGCATS performer of the Championships, was next to set an EBT as she smashed the previous best time for the Girls 200 metres Butterfly by nearly seven seconds, to take the title with a time of 2mins 21.87secs. In the 12 years category, Brock Whiston raised a few eyebrows too, as she sliced more than ten seconds off of her previous best to finish 3rd. There was also a PB for 11years old Victoria Christmas who was 5th.

With PB times tumbling with practically every swim, it was the turn of 13 years old Sean Houlihan to improve on his previous best by four seconds over 200 metres Breaststroke to take a comfortable win on his main event. His time of 2mins 35.38secs gave him victory by more than half a length. 14 years old Alfie Burr, seeded outside of the top six in this Breaststroke event, continued his fine form from the previous round of competition to grab the bronze.

Another Romford youngster who is carving chunks off her best times each time out is 10 years old Sophie Ward. Her time of 5mins 19.62secs, an eight seconds PB for the 400 metres Freestyle, gave her bronze with team mate Bethany Moore not far behind in 5th.

In the finals of the Girls 100 metres Freestyle there was a hard fought bronze medal for Amy Gore in the 12 years age group, before Sheridan rounded of the first morning session with her second win in the 13 years event.

The same two girls set the afternoon session alight as they both stormed to Gold in their respective 400 IM events. Firstly Gore took the opposition apart in the 12 years age group and only narrowly missed adding this event to the 200 metres NQT achieved in the last round. Sheridan’s swim was something special and surpassed even her earlier butterfly performance as one of the swims of the Championships. She set a blistering pace from the start and whilst pegged back a little on her weaker backstroke lap again opened up a commanding lead in the Breaststroke to finish with a time of 5mins 01.90secs, almost TEN seconds faster than the previous EBT. Her training partner Bethany Hall lowered her PB time by ten seconds to take 3rd place. There was a second medal for 12 years old Brock Whiston, also bronze as she sliced a similar amount off of her PB, for a time of 5mins 26.83secs.

In the Boys 200 metres Butterfly the medals continued as 12 years old James Kidd swam a three seconds PB to nab the silver. In the 13 years category there were yet more PB's and great excitement as less than 0.4secs separated the top three places. This time round the verdict went to Town’s Harry Coker who demolished his previous best time by seven seconds. Sean Houlihan with a new PB mark took the 3rd spot and also setting a lifetime best was Joseph Stamp in 5th. In the Girls 14 years and over 200 metres Butterfly, Jessica Coles added a bronze in the 16 years group.

Romford's next gold was accompanied by Kieran Gore's second EBT of the day as he showed his rivals a clean pair of heals over 200 metres Breaststroke.

In the 16 years and over 200 metres Freestyle, three Romford boys broke the 2 minutes barrier with a fourth coming up only .03secs short of the mark. In the 16 years old group, James Davis deposed his Redbridge rival for the second time as he took his second gold of this year’s campaign with a time of 1min 58.50secs. Jake Harrison added to his growing collection of medals with 3rd place and , Thomas Toolis came in, in 6th spot. In the 17 years+ category Daniel Stepton took silver and was not too far behind Waltham Forest's overseas senior swimmer, Allen Lindenberg. Jamie Harrington was one of those to set a new sub 2 minutes PB to finish in 5th place.

To finish off a thrilling afternoon session, Sean Houlihan had to settle for silver over 100 metres Backstroke as hesitant turns left him with too much to do over the closing 25 metres, just missing out on the touch. Harriette Davis too came close to adding to her golden tally but this time also lost out in a close finish. In the strong 16 years age group, Nicole Raymond was at her very best to come away with the bronze.

On day 2, Elena Sheridan started where she left off by setting a new EBT for the Girls 13 years 100 metres Butterfly in the heats and despite not being able to lower it further in the Final she still notched up another gold, with some to spare. Stepton warmed up with a hard fought silver in the 100 metres IM, James Davis took 3rd place in his age group IM and Kieran Gore added silver in the 400 metres event.

Having been denied the opportunity to challenge for the County's 100 metres EBT Backstroke a few weeks earlier, due to an oversight with his entry, Daniel Stepton took his opportunity over the 200 metres distance. Leading over the opening 25 metres he increased this with each length to finish with a winning time of 2mins 05.50secs. This lowered one of the County's longest standing EBT’s set by Redbridge's Martin Carl in 1992.

Another youngster showing her all round ability was 10 years old Bethany Moore who leapt past a number of others in her age group to secure the silver medal in the 200 metres IM. This time out Sophie Ward was 6th.

Sean Houlilan was back to winning ways with a 2mins 06.72secs, 200 metres Freestyle swim and Brock Whiston collected her third medal, another bronze, over 100 metres Butterfly. Rosie Webber did well to make the final, finishing 6th.

As we moved into the afternoon session, Daniel Stepton came close to another EBT over the 200 metres IM and was clearly starting to feel the effects of a long weekend of competition. James Davis collected the Bronze in his age group.

Sean Houlihan added to his mounting tally of NQT’s with a 4mins 25.87secs swim over 400 metres Freestyle that produced his eleventh gold of the Championships with a winning margin of more than five seconds.

With the race for the 14 years old girls overall top swimmer going down to the wire, Harriette Davis made sure of the top spot with a win in her final event the 200 metres IM. A ten seconds PB saw her leapfrog Redbridge's Emily Coles in the Top Girl standings. There were also strong swims from Nicole Raymond and Jessica Coles who took 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 16 years event.

In the final of the 100 metres events Jake Harrison upset the odds again to grab the silver in the 16 years Freestyle and Stepton had to be content with a share of the silver in the 17years + event.

Town swimmers kept the excitement going through to the last event of the day as Amy Gore powered her way to a PB and another victory in the girls 12 years 100 metres Breaststroke. The 13 years girl's event came down to a battle for gold and silver between the Romford pairing of Elena Sheridan and Bethaney Hall. With both girls setting new life time best swims it was Sheridan that proved a little stronger over the closing stages to take the verdict on this occasion.

There were many more outstanding swims from Romford Town swimmers. Those that finished just outside the medals but collected points towards the overall championship title by reaching the final were:-

• Sophie Ward - 4th - Girls 10 years 200 Butterfly
• Toby Mascall - 6th - Boys 10 years 200 Breaststroke
• Victoria Christmas - 5th - Girls 11 years 400 IM
• Victoria Christmas - 5th - Girls 11years 100 Freestyle
• Brock Whiston - 4th - Girls 12 years 100 Breaststroke
• Rosie Webber - 6th - Girls 12 years 100 Butterfly
• Amy Beardwell-Lacey - 6th - Girls 13 years 100 Butterfly
• Harry Coker - 5th - Boys 13 years 200 Breaststroke
• Louise Harrington - 5th - Girls 14 years 200 Individual Medley
• Alfie Burr - 4th - Boys 14 years 200 Freestyle
• Alfie Burr - 6th - Boys 14 years 200 Butterfly
• Alfie Burr - 6th - Boys 14 years 400 Freestyle
• Thomas Toolis - 4th - Boys 16 years 200 Backstroke
• Thomas Toolis - 5th - Boys 16 years 100 Butterfly
• Thomas Toolis - 6th - Boys 16 years 200 Freestyle
• Jake Harrison - 4th - Boys 16 years 100 IM
• Jake Harrison - 5th - Boys 16 years 200 IM
• James Davis - 6th - Boys 16 years 200 Backstroke
• Nicola Rees - 5th - Girls 17 years+ 100 Freestyle
• Jamie Harrington - 5th - Boys 17 years+ 200 Freestyle
• Jamie Harrington - 5th - Boys 17 years+ 100 IM
• Jamie Harrington - 5th - Boys 17 years+ 100 Freestyle
• Daniel Stepton - 4th - Boys 17 years+ 100 Butterfly
• Sam Whitehead - 6th - Boys 17 years+ 200 IM

What a great weekend. Well done to all that swam.