RTSC Gala Reports

21st - 23rd March – Sheffield Premier Open Meet 2008

Romford Rise to the Challenge

Romford Town swimmers faced their toughest test of the season so far as they took on some of the country’s best swimmers at the City of Sheffield’s three day Easter Open Meet at the International Ponds Forge pool.

12 years old Sean Houlihan showed how far he has come in recent months kicking off with a silver medal in the 200 metres Individual Medley, with a long course PB and the first of four long course National Qualifying Times (NQTs) in 2mins 33.83secs. Team mate Joseph Stamp who also sliced seconds off all of his previous best times this weekend was 4th with a time of 2mins 38.32secs. Houlihan was just outside the medals again and just outside of another NQT in the 100 metres Freestyle, before wading in with gold in the 200 metres Breaststroke with an astonishing NQT of 2mins 50.54secs, some 6 six seconds faster than his last outing. He emulated this performance over the 100 metres distance, taking a second gold and breaking the 1min 20sec barrier for the first time. Sandwiched between the Breaststroke swims was another gritty performance over 400 metres IM which secured him another silver medal with a time of 5mins 23.62secs. Stamp stormed through the field to take 4th place in the 100 metres Backstroke, before going one better over the 200 metres distance. Here, he took the bronze with a time of 2mins 39.28secs, nearly 10 seconds faster than his previous best and only 0.4secs away from silver. He added top 10 finishes and sizeable PBs in both the 100 and 400 metres Freestyle events, breaking the 5-minute mark for the first time in the latter.

16 years old Daniel Stepton had set himself a tough two day test with a gruelling schedule of events. Like Houlihan, he opened with a PB and an NQT in the 200 metres IM. His time of 2mins 16.06secs was an improvement of three seconds on his previous best, and gave him 2nd place in the 16 years age group. Again he was the second fastest 16 year old over 100 metres Freestyle before snatching a silver medal over 50 metres Backstroke and 4th place over 50 metres Freestyle in the Open age category, both inside the National Senior Championship qualifying standard. He secured two bronze medals from his 100 and 200 metres Backstroke swims and achieved another NQT and PB time of 2mins 00.91secs to finish 4th in the 200 metres Freestyle. He added top 10 finishes in each of his 400 metres Freestyle, 400 metres IM and 50 metres Butterfly events.

In the same age group, 16 years old Grant Chandler showed that he is returning to form with a season’s long course best over 100 metres Butterfly and a PB in the 200 metres Freestyle. His Freestyle time of 2mins 02.12secs saw him finish as the 4th fastest 16 year old and sneaked him into the Open final.

14 years old Kelsey Richards continued from where she left off at the County Championships with sparkling performances in all of her main events. Swimming in a joint girls 14/15 years age group, she finished 3rd with a PB and long course NQT in her opening 400 metres IM event, with a time of 5mins 15.24secs. She chipped in with PBs over 100 metes Butterfly and 200 metres Freestyle before adding another bronze with a five second PB over 200 metres Butterfly, with a time of 2mins 29.96secs. A medal eluded her in the 400 metres Freestyle though her PB time of 4mins 38.11secs was the fastest by a 14 years old and gave her another NQT. There was a further PB to come over 100 metres Freestyle.

Jamie Harrington (16), whose season had been put on hold by illness, was also returning to his old self with PBs in each of his Freestyle events. He had set the ball rolling with a valiant effort over 800 metres Freestyle in the opening Friday evening session, where his time of 9mins 03.97secs was the 2nd fastest by a 16 year old and only fell short of his first NQT by two seconds. Providing he stays healthy, this should be attained next time out. His other PBs came over the 100, 200 and 400 metres distances. His sister, Louise Harrington (13), improved her times in both of her Butterfly swims. Just missing out on the final in the 100 metres event, she came through to take 7th spot in the 200 metres final with a time of 2mins 38.69secs, four seconds faster than she posted in the heats.

Romford’s newcomer, 13 years old Harriette Davis smashed her previous long course best times in all of her six events and finished in the top 10 in all but one of these. Her main swims came over 100, 200 and 400 metres Freestyle and 100 and 200 metres Backstroke. Her 3rd placed finish, with a time of 2mins 33.50secs in the final of the 200 metres Backstroke also brought her to within two seconds of her first NQT of the season.

15 years old James Davis’s weekend started well with PB swims from each of his 200 metres IM, 400 metres Freestyle and 400 metres IM events. His best result from these, marked another milestone as he crept under the 5-minute mark for the first time in the 400 metres IM event, only to narrowly miss his first ever NQT as well. His time of 4mins 59.94secs saw him finish as the 4th fastest 15 years old. There was more disappointment to follow as he later suffered a muscle strain while warming up and he had to withdraw from his remaining 200 metres Backstroke and 200 metres Freestyle events.

Christopher Stamp is another 15 years old Town swimmer with injury worries. A shoulder problem has recently hampered his training and restricted his weekend schedule to less than a handful of sprint events. Determined to compete, he had a fine opening 100 metres Freestyle swim though a painful niggle over the closing stages forced him to withdraw from his main 100 metres Butterfly event. He did however produce strong swims in both of his remaining 50 metres events with a time of 26.97 in the Freestyle and 28.70secs, the 2nd fastest by a 15 year old in the Butterfly. In the same age group, Anthony Wright set long course best times over 50, 100 and 200 metres Backstroke. His time of 2mins 15.50secs was also the fastest he has swum over 200 metres Freestyle.

Town’s youngest two competitors, 11 years old Brock Whiston and Emma Aston, were not overawed by the occasion and set about rewriting their own PB records. Whiston’s first PB came with her opening 400 metres IM event and was followed by the 200 metres IM event. She later added both the 100 and 200 metres Breaststroke swims to her growing list of improvements. Like Stamp, she saved the best for last, though hers was a plucky 200 metres Breaststroke swim where the time of 3mins 08.75 was five seconds faster than she had swum previously. Aston’s PBs came from her 100 and 200 metres Freestyle and 200 metres IM swims.

After a quiet start to the year sister, Sian Aston, got her season back on track with PBs from both of her Breaststroke swims in the 14 years age group. Her times of 1min 21.80secs in the 100 metres event and 2mins 55.46secs in the 200 metres event saw her finish as a top ten 14 years old on both occasions.

There were PBs for Town’s senior swimmer too, as 24 years old Kira Fawke set new marks in each of her 50, 100 and 200 metres Freestyle events.

There were some outstanding results from all our swimmers. Well done.