RTSC Gala Reports

Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th April - Taunton Deane Easter Long Course - Millfield School

There were medals galore for Romford Town swimmers as they emphatically retained their Top Visiting Club status at Taunton Deane’s Level 1, National Qualifier Competition, at Millfield School’s long course pool. Romford very nearly made it a clean sweep of honours as 10 years old Holly Hilldrew took the overall Top Girl Award and 10 years old Mitchell Wilson was runner up in the overall Top Boy Category.

Romford’s younger swimmers were out in force, and they got off to the perfect start with the 10 years old girls dominating their opening 400 metres Freestyle event with a 1-2-3. Hilldrew opened her account with gold and was followed home by team mates Ellie Harris and Victoria Bishop for silver and bronze. All three girls clocked up new PB times. With such a tough schedule of events and some stiff opposition, it was not surprising that there was only one more gold medal for Hilldrew, though there were a further four silvers and three bronze in her nine medal haul. Her second success came over 200 metres Freestyle, where she again led the race from start to finish. This time though, despite two more fine swims from Harris and Bishop, they had to settle for 3rd and 4th places. In the same age group, Hannah Binning was also on top form with three bronze medals from her Backstroke and Breaststroke events.

There were gold medals for three of the 10 years old boys where Mitchell Wilson led the way with five. Like Hilldrew he got off to a winning start over 200 metres IM, with training partner Samuel Ellis hot on his heels in 2nd place. Despite adding a further four silver to some remarkable wins, he still came up one point short of the Top Boy accolade. Wilson’s other wins came from his 100 metres Butterfly, 400 metres IM, 100 metres Freestyle and 100 metres Breaststroke. Ellis picked up another silver and a bronze on Day One, but had to wait until Sunday to stamp his mark with wins in both the 200 metres Backstroke and Breaststroke events. Aiden Jackson had stormed to gold in the 50 metres Breaststroke, but had to be content with silver behind Wilson in the 100 metres event.

The medals came thick and fast in the 11 years age group too. For the girls, Sophie Ward led the way with five, three silver and two bronze, with her best results coming from her 50 and 100 metres Butterfly and 200 metres IM swims.

The 11 years old boys ,like the age group below, grabbed more than their fair share of medals. They produced an exceptional weekend of swimming as Kieron Gore notched up five wins, three with National Qualifying Times and added two third place finishes. His NQT’s came in the 200m and 400 metres IM and over 200 metres Breaststroke. He added victories over 50m and 100m to wrap up the Breaststroke events. Jack Ayling took all three Butterfly titles. His time of 2mins 40.15secs for the 200 metres swim was more than ten seconds inside his NQT for this event. As a bonus he added the 400 metres IM NQT to his list of achievements. Not finished yet, Calum Connelly weighed in with some successes of his own, by winning in the 400 metres Freestyle and adding another three other third place finishes. One of these, the 400 metres IM was also inside the National Qualifying standard. Josh Burcombe also chipped in with two Bronze medals in the 400 metres Freestyle and the 50 metres Butterfly.

Romford’s 12 years olds found it tough going and despite some very good PB swims, the medals were hard to come by. Victoria Christmas was unlucky not to pick up more than two silvers from her six top five finishes. These medals came from her 50 metres Butterfly and 200 metres IM swims. There was a silver for Jodi Whitehead from a gutsy 50 metres Backstroke swim which she followed with a bronze over 50 metres Breaststroke. Sam Bishop continues to improve with leaps and bounds, though on this occasion only had one bronze medal from the 400 metres Freestyle to show for his toils.

13 years old Brock Whiston improved on her best on practically all of her swims and whilst NQT’s eluded her this time out she came closer on each of her main events. By way of consolation she helped herself to six medals, three gold, two silvers and a bronze. Her wins, all with PB times, came from the 200 and 400 metres IM and 200 metres Butterfly.

Of the 13 years old boys, James Kidd smashed his previous best times to come away with the 200 metres Butterfly title and 2nd places in both the 200 metres IM and 400 metres Freestyle. Charles Sturley, who had followed Kidd home on the 200 Butterfly for the runner up spot, reversed the result to take the win in the 400 Freestyle after another close tussle. Sturley added two bronze medals to his collection for the 50 metres Freestyle and 100 metres Butterfly.

Romford’s 14 years olds racked up a further twenty one top three finishes. Elena Sheridan did well in her first full weekend of long course competition following her shoulder injury. She chalked up three wins and four 2nd places from her eight events, with the gold medals coming from the 50 and 200 metres Butterfly and 400 metres IM. Her close friend Bethaney Hall was 2nd in the 400 metres IM and finished 3rd in both of her 100 & 200 metres Breaststroke swims.

Sean Houlihan was in fine form on Day One finishing inside of the National Qualifying standard in winning both the 200 and 400 metres IM. He added a PB in the 100 metres Butterfly for good measure. He was however a little out of sorts on Day Two and whilst he had a good 3rd place finish over 200 metres Backstroke, was disappointed to finish 3rd in both of his Breaststroke events. George Foley snatched four medals, a gold, two silvers and a bronze. After opening his programme with a 3rd place and a PB over 200 metres IM, he matched his best ever time to take a clear win in the 800 metres Freestyle. His runner up swims came from the 400 metres Freestyle and 400 metres IM events. Harry Coker had a productive two days as he edged that bit closer to his NQTs as these PBs gave him 3rd place in both the 100 and 200 metres Butterfly.

It was the girls that piled on the team points in the 15 years category. Harriette Davis had wins in the 1500 and 800 metres Freestyle and the 100 and 200 metres Backstroke events. She also came away with a silver and two Bronze. Rachel Welsh made it a Romford clean sweep of the Backstroke events by taking the 50 metres crown and collected a bronze for 3rd place in the 100 metres Freestyle. Louise Harrington, who was only able to compete on the Sunday, took both the 100 and 200m Butterfly titles and was runner up in the 200 metres IM.

In the 16 years and over category Daniel Stepton, who has recently stepped up his training, found it ‘hard to get going’ but still managed three wins over 200 metres IM, 50 Backstroke and 1500 metres Freestyle. He also finished 3rd in the 100 metres Freestyle. By contrast 17 years old Jake Harrison continued his rehabilitation after a lay off, with PB’s over 50 and 100 metres Breaststroke, narrowly missing an NQT by less than 0.03secs in the 100 metres event, where he took gold. A little too eager to chalk up his first NQT in the 200 metres Breaststroke event he later paid for a very fast start, falling a couple of seconds short, but managed another gold. To round off a super weekend of swimming, Nicola Rees was thrilled to set a PB over 50 metres Freestyle and season’s best swims at 50 metres Butterfly, 100 Butterfly and 100 metres Freestyle. She came away with two silver medals and a bronze.

Swimmers achieving top eight places though just outside of the medals were:

• Anna Manning (10)
• 7th - 200m Backstroke
• 6th - 100m Butterfly
• 5th - 400m IM
• 4th - 200m Butterfly
• Zac Coleman (11)
• 6th - 100m Freestyle
• 8th - 400 Freestyle
• 7th - 50 Freestyle
• Amy Harris (12)
• 7th - 100 Backstroke
• 6th - 200 Backstroke
• 4th - 200 Breaststroke
• 7th - 200 IM
• 6th - 400 IM
• 4th - 50 Breaststroke
• Luke Sheridan (12)
• 8th - 200 IM
• 6th - 400 Freestyle
• 5th - 50 Butterfly
• Sam Hollington (12)
• 7th - 50 Backstroke
• 8th - 200 Backstroke
• Amy Gore (13)
• 5th - 100 Breaststroke
• 6th - 200 Breaststroke
• 8th - 200 IM
• Amy Beardwell-Lacey (14)
• 4th - 100 Breaststroke
• 7th - 200 Backstroke
• 5th - 200 Breaststroke
• 5th - 50 Butterfly
• 6th - 200 IM
• 5th - 100 Butterfly
• Andrew Ward (17)
• 4th - 50 Breaststroke
• 6th - 100 Breaststroke
• 7th - 50 Butterfly
• Thomas Toolis (17)
• 7th - 200 Freestyle
• 5th - 100 Butterfly

Great performances all round. Let’s keep it going. Well Done.