RTSC Gala Reports

Friday 25th to Sunday 27th November - Essex Winter Long Course Championships - Basildon Sporting Village

This year’s senior/junior Winter Championships were held for the first time Long Course at Basildon’s 50 metres pool and Romford retained both of the trophies that were up for grabs. The Hugh Joiner cup for the overall Top Club was retained by an impressive margin of more than 300 points though Town were pushed to within two points for the Masters Shield, the Top Club trophy for the ‘distance events’.

In the battle for the overall ‘Top Club’ trophy, Romford swimmers came away a staggering thirty one County Titles, surpassing their record tally of last year. The first of many impressive results came in the first men’s event of the weekend, on Friday evening, the 1500 metres Freestyle. 15 years old George Foley’s PB swim of 16mins 55.54secs brought him victory in both the Junior and Senior categories, having pulled away over the second half of the race to win by a clear 25 metres.

Elena Sheridan secured the first of her titles over 200 IM in the first Ladies event of Saturday as she powered her way to a winning time of 2mins 21.41 secs. Like Foley, the evening before, this was good enough for both Junior and Senior trophies. 15 years old Brock Whiston was not too far behind as the 2nd place Junior and 3rd place Senior. Whiston was to grab a double win for herself in a closely fought 50 metre Breaststroke race. She snatched the verdict by a fingernail with a PB time of 35.51secs. Sheridan took both titles in the Ladies 200 Freestyle where an exciting tussle with team-mate Nicola Rees saw them finish only 0.2secs apart as they finished 1st & 2nd.

Foley added to his medal collection with a Junior silver and Senior bronze over 200 metres Freestyle before Sheridan took double gold in the Ladies 100 Butterfly event. 20 years old Danial Stepton secured the first of his three Backstroke titles over 200 metres with a time of 2mins 11.62secs.

Rees turned the tables on Sheridan in the 50m Freestyle sprint where she took gold with a time of 27.89secs, while Sheridan was 2nd fastest Junior and 3rd fastest overall. Sheridan went on to win the knockout ‘skins’ event. In the Men’s event, Stepton was 3rd in the final but held out for the runner-up spot in the ‘skins’ challenge.

Sheridan and Whiston dominated the Sunday morning opener, the Ladies 400m IM, as they took double gold and double silver respectively. Whiston's 5mins 15.91secs was another PB time.

Foley had to give way to Redbridge’s Charlie Dentith over 400m Freestyle, but a solid 4mins 16.32secs saw him home well clear of the 3rd placed swimmer. Charles Sturley produced his best performance of the season so far as he smashed through the 2mins 20secs barrier for the first time over 200 metres Butterfly. His time of 2mins 19.31secs gave him a well deserved silver medal in the junior event, with Foley a couple of seconds further back in 3rd place.

As with the day’s opening event it was a one/two again for Sheridan and Whiston over 200 metres Breaststroke though in a much closer battle for the medals. Sheridan was near to her best with a time of 2mins 41.41secs and Whiston’s 2mins 44.44secs was another PB. Both were inside this year’s National Qualifying standard. Sheridan added yet more golds over 50 metres Butterfly where after a hesitant start she pulled clear.

Stepton smashed his own Senior County Record over 50 meters Backstroke, lowering it by more than 0.3secs to the new mark of 27.44secs and his second gold. Nicola Rees followed this in the very next final with her second gold of the weekend over 100 metres Freestyle. She held on the advantage she had gained over the opening 50 metres to finish with a PB time of 1min 00.43secs.

As we moved into the final session, Sheridan chalked up four more titles in quick succession with Junior and Senior wins over both the 400m Freestyle and 200m Butterfly.

Jake Harrison produced a gritty closing 50 metres over 200m Breaststroke, to power his way through to a silver medal in the senior event. His time of 2mins 36.17secs saw him touch out his training partner Scott Denham into 3rd place by only 0.03secs.

There was drama as the timing system failed to display the result of the mens 100m Backstroke which after a long wait was given to Stepton by the narrowest 0.01secs margin for win number three.

Brock Whiston grabbed her second NQT and the junior title over 100m Breaststroke with a PB time of 1min 16.80secs. This was also good enough for the runner-up spot in the senior category. Elena Sheridan rounded her programme off with 50 metres Backstroke. This was the first time that she has competed in this event and did brilliantly well to finish 2nd. George Foley, who had bagged Town’s first medal of the weekend, also took the last with bronze in the junior 200m Freestyle.

Final Points Score, Top 8 Clubs:

1. Romford Town 553
2. Chelmsford 228
3. Colchester 220
4. Killerwhales 203
5. Thurrock 178
6. Borough of Redbridge 175
7. Borough of Southend 122
8. Runnymede 95

Well done to all that competed. There were many swims outside of the medals that were really outstanding.