RTSC Gala Reports

Saturday 11 October - National Swimming League (Round 1) - University of Hertfordshire

Romford Town Swimming Club encountered a tough opening round to this year’s National Swimming League (formerly Speedo League) Division 1 programme. Town put together an outstanding team performance in finishing 2nd to the hosts, Hatfield at their University of Hertfordshire Pool on Saturday. Despite such strong opposition Town amassed more than 300 team points for the first time and this tally could have been more but for an unfortunate disqualification to a winning relay team. With many of the Town swimmers competing against older competitors in this double age group competition, they did well to clock up eight winning swims on the night.

Town got off to a great start with strong performances from Jessica Coles and Daniel Stepton in the Open Age Group Individual Medley events and didn’t have to wait too long for their first victory from the relay events that followed. Unaware that the girls 13/U Medley relay team immediately before them had been disqualified, having finished in first place, the Boys 13/U Medley team of Joseph Stamp, Sean Houlihan, Harry Coker and George Ellis set out to follow suit. Leading from start to finish they came away with what turned out to be Romford’s first win. The same four boys later combined in the Freestyle event to chalk up another relay win.

Sean Houlihan, who had a busy night, was back in action shortly after this to secure Romford’s first individual victory in the Boys 13/U 100 metres Breaststroke. His event followed that of Bethany Hall who put in a gritty 2nd place performance in her Breaststroke swim and had come so close to the win, only to be touched out in a close finish. Houlihan later snatched 2nd place as he took on the older boys in the 15/U Breaststroke event. Stamp was in fine form too adding a brace of 3rd place finishes, both in PB times, from his 100 metres Backstroke (1min 09.75secs)and Freestyle (1min 03.22secs)swims.

Town’s next triumph also came from a 13 year old, as Harriette Davis took her age group 100 metres Backstroke with some ease, in a PB time of 1min 09.84secs. She later made another major contribution to Town’s points tally with a win over 100 metres Freestyle.

There were three more successes for Town, all in Butterfly events, two from 13 years old Elena Sheridan and another from Houlihan. Sheridan firstly secured maximum points in the 15/U category where her time of 1min 08.57 was a full two seconds clear of her Runnymede rival and another 1min 08sec swim in the 13/U age group, only six events later, saw her win by a clear six seconds. Houlihan’s win in the boys 13/U event, with a time of 1min 08.82, was equally as impressive as he too came away with a similar winning margin. Davis, Sheridan, Hall and Claire Jackson also chipped in with a 2nd place in the girls 13/U Freestyle relay event.

In the 9-11 years Freestyle relays Victoria Christmas, Megan McAuliffe, Sophie Ward and Bethany Moore secured 3rd spot for the girls while the boys team of Sam Bishop, Luke Sheridan, Sam Hollington and Sam Allsop went one better, finishing 2nd. Both quartets turned out again for the Medley team events and this time the girls took the 2nd spot and the boys were 3rd. Bishop had further strong swims, to take 3rd place in the boy’s 10- 11 years 50 metres Backstroke and 2nd in the 50 metres Breaststroke while Christmas (Backstroke and Freestyle) and McAuliffe (Breaststroke) also added six team points from each of their 3rd place finishes.

In the 15/U age group, Rachel Welsh, Nicole Raymond, Stevie Coker and Sian Aston were runners up in both their Freestyle and Medley Relay events. Welsh set a PB time of 1min 11.26secs for 3rd place in her individual 100 metres Backstroke swim and Raymond was back to her best with a 1min 02.75secs for 2nd place over 100 metres Freestyle. Aston was also involved in a close tussle though on this occasion she too had to settle for 2nd place in her 100 metres Breaststroke swim. 15 years old James Davis added more valuable 3rd place points with a PB time of 1min 04.32secs over 100 metres Butterfly and a near best performance time of 58.57secs in the 100 metres Freestyle event.

In the Girls Open relays, Romford secured seven points each time from two thrilling 2nd placed swims. In the Medley event Nicole Raymond, Jessica Coles, Nicola Rees and Kira Fawke combined and in the 6 X 50 freestyle event these four were joined by Welsh and Coker. Coles returned to form over 100 metres Breaststroke and had to be pleased with her time and her runner up spot. Fawke battled hard to 3rd place in her 100 metres Freestyle event.

16 years old Daniel Stepton grabbed 2nd place in the Open 100 metres Backstroke and together with Jake Harrison, Grant Chandler and Jamie Harrington did well to finish 3rd in their Medley relay event. In the six man Open Freestyle event the quartet were joined by Billy Tubbs and James Davis to end the evening with another gutsy Town performance and another 3rd place.

Final Points:

1. Hatfield 377
2. Romford Town 307
3. Anaconda 223
4. Watford 216
5. Griffins 191
6. Runnymede 187
7. Saxon Crown 156
8. Sutton 149

Well done to all

Gary Rogers