RTSC Gala Reports

15th/16th May 2010 - Rotherham Open Meet - Ponds Forge Pool, Sheffield

Romford Town rack up the medals against some of the best from around the country

Romford swimmers again showed that they can take on some of the best from around the country as they racked up the medals at this weekend’s Level 1, National Qualifier at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge International Pool, at the Rotherham Open tournament.

There were wins in the very first event for 10 years old Holly Hilldrew and 11 years old Bethany Moore in the girls 9-12 years 200 metres IM. These were also the first two of a sixteen medals haul that the girls shared from an outstanding weekend of swimming. It was not surprising that Hilldrew added the 400 metres IM to her list of gold medals having already bagged both the 200 metres Breaststroke and Butterfly titles and then followed these up with bronze and silver in the Backstroke and Freestyle 200 metres events. Her other top three finishes came from a win in the 100 metres Breaststroke and a 3rd place over 400 metres Freestyle.

Moore too made it an IM double clinching the 400 metres crown with a time of 5mins 46.17secs. She set PBs in each of her 100 metres Freestyle, 50 metres Backstroke and 50 metres Freestyle events, where again there was gold each time out. Her other two medals, silver and bronze both came from Backstroke swims over the 200 and 100 metres distances.

10 years old Hannah Binning secured three medals of her own from seven top ten finishes. There were silvers from each of her 50 metres Breaststroke and Backstroke swims and bronze in the 50 metres Butterfly. In the same age group, Anna Manning finished just outside of the medals with strong PB swims from both of her 100 and 200 metres Butterfly swims.

Sophie Ward (11) was another youngster that took on a tough weekend programme and of her six top ten finishes her best results came from her Butterfly swims. Having warmed up with 4th place in the opening 200metres IM event and 3rd place in the 200metres Breaststroke, she took the top spot over 200 metres Butterfly winning with a time of 2mins 51.33secs. She later added a silver over the 100 metres distance.

There were medals in abundance for the 10 and 11 years boys as well. 11 years old Kieran Gore got his weekend off to a great start with a NQT of 2mins 42.12secs over 200 metres Backstroke. His first medal came from 2nd place over 400 metres IM. He then showed the way in the 100 and 200 metres Breaststroke taking gold on both occasions before rounding off with a gritty PB performance over 400 metres Freestyle for another silver. In the same age group, Jack Ayling and Calum Connelly were unlucky not to add more than four more medals between them. Ayling improved on his early bronze in the 100 metres Butterfly with a silver in the 50 metres event. Connelly followed a strong 400 metres IM with a PB over 100 metres Freestyle finishing 3rd both times.

Romford’s 10 years old boys, Mitchell Wilson and Aiden Jackson were also in the medals. Wilson kicked off his schedule with a 3rd place finish in the 400 metres IM before collecting silvers in the 200 metres event and 50 metres Butterfly. Jackson set a PB of 43.04secs for his 50 metres Breaststroke to come home in 2nd place.

12 years olds Victoria Christmas and Jodi Whitehead clocked up ten finishes inside the top eight, though there was only one medal apiece to show for their toils. Christmas’s best result came from a 3rd place in the 100 metres Butterfly while Whitehead bagged the silver from a fast 50 metres Breaststroke.

14 years old Elena Sheridan was back on song after a tentative start to her programme though these brought her 3rd place in the joint 13/14 years age 100 metres Freestyle, 5th in the 200 metres Breaststroke and a gold over 50 metres Butterfly. Clearly up for the fight, she took on the senior swimmers from Loughborough University over 200 metres Butterfly and was pulled through to a two seconds PB and Essex County Junior Record of 2mins 18.71secs. The gold in the 200 metres Butterfly was followed by another PB and another win in the 400 metres IM. She made it three wins in a row and her second Essex Junior Record, lowering the100 metres Butterfly time to 1min 04.63secs. A PB in her less favoured 400metres Freestyle event brought her to within half a second of another NQT. She came even closer over the 200 metres event, missing out on a NQT by only 0.01secs, though there was the consolation of another gold. Two more good swims brought two more medals, a silver in the 100 metres Breaststroke and gold number six over 200 metres IM.

Team mate Bethany Hall set some impressive PBs but was outside of the top three this time round. The pick of her swims came from a two seconds PB over 200 metres IM in which she clocked a time of 2mins 32.43secs.

13 years old Brock Whiston got off to a flying start recording a PB time of 37.15secs in the 50 metres Breaststroke which brought her silver in the 13/14 years age group. This set her up for her first NQT of the season over the 200 metres distance where a four seconds PB time of 2mins 49.41secs also secured her second medal, a bronze. Whilst this effort took its toll on some of the distance events that followed, other good results secured her the prize of 2nd placed overall in the girls 13 years ‘bagcats’ awards.

After a tough early season of injury 14 years old Sean Houlihan showed that he is getting back on track with four medals from a strong two days of racing. Varying his schedule to include some less practised events he got off to the best possible start with a four seconds PB in the 400 metres IM, finishing 3rd with a time of 4mins 52.22secs. He was at his best again for the 200 metres IM and the result was the same, another bronze, before he powered to gold with a seasons best time of 2mins 34.80secs in the 200 metres Breaststroke. He rounded off the weekend with a five seconds PB for another 3rd place over 400 metres Freestyle.

14 years old team mate Harry Coker was near to his very best on day one before stepping up a gear on day two. A sizeable PB from his 200 metres IM swim was followed by another over 200 metres Butterfly. His Butterfly time of 2mins 22.26secs was less than a second outside of his NQT and it secured him 3rd place.

Harriette Davis (15), swimming in the girls 15/16 age group produced a season’s long course best over 100 metres Backstroke to take gold. A good start in the 200 metres event could not be sustained throughout though her time of 2mins 33.97secs was still good enough for the silver.

In a very tough senior category there were medals for both Daniel Stepton and Nicola Rees. Stepton (18,) who has the added pressure of impending A Levels, had five finishes inside the top seven and a NQT in the 50 metres Freestyle, though had only one medal (a bronze) in the 50 metres Backstroke, to show for some strong performances. Rees started with a seasons best over 100 metres Freestyle and finished with a bronze and a PB time of 28.42secs in the 50 metres Freestyle.

One of the youngest competitors in the Open age group, 17 years old Jake Harrison experienced both the highs and lows this weekend. Having powered his way to his first ever NQT over the 100 metres Breaststroke he later smashed the 200 metres time only to be disqualified, being adjudged to have made a faulty last turn.

12 years old Amy Harris continues to improve each time out and came closest to a medal with 4th place and a PB time of 1min 25.55secs over 100 metres Breaststroke. She also pulled out three other top drawer swims in the 200 metres Breaststroke, 400 metres IM and 200 metres Backstroke, which placed her inside the top seven each time.

There were two top ten finishes for 13 years old Charles Sturley in the boys 13/14 category. Both of these came from his Butterfly swims as he followed his PB in the 50 metres event with another in the 200 metres.

Some great swimming, a big well done to all.