Worcester’s swimmers continued their winning ways in 2014 with an excellent performance at the County Relay Championships on Sunday 29th June.
Having already been crowned both Winter League and PGL League Champions already this year, the swimmers won another prestigious local title at Wolverhampton, with the Championships again held outside the County at the nearest 8-lane pool.
The Championships consist of 4 x 50m Freestyle and Medley Relays for both male and female swimmers across all age bands from 9-10 through to Masters, with each relay team earning points for their Club and across the 32 relays, Worcester proved worthy champions amassing 195 points, just ahead of local rivals Stourbridge on 167 and well clear of all other Clubs.
Stars of the show were the 9-10 boys. Isaac Shepherd, George Glover, Alex Rosser-Barnett and Daniel Day won both their Freestyle and Medley Relays, the latter in a splendid new Championship Best Time of 2.37.70.
In the same age group, the promising girls team of Izzy Trow, Ellie Bainbridge, Aimee Monks and Georgia Hill swam really well too but had to settle for just the one medal in the Medley.
In the 11/12 age group, though, the girls were in spectacular form with Jenny Gearey, Olivia Fletcher, Amy Owens and Catrin Carter winning both Relays, the Freestyle in a remarkable 2.00.87, another Championship Best Time!
Whilst the 11/12 boys were just outside the medals themselves, their contribution to the team success could not be understated and with all of them racking up Personal Best times, Matthew Richards, Baeli Fern, Fraser Burgess and Jack Nawarycz are names to watch out for.
In the 13/14 age group, both girls and boys teams picked up a brace of medals each. It was in the Medley that the girls excelled with Ellie McGinnes, Lucy Clayton, Yasemin Tayar and Emily Stancer finishing over 3 seconds clear of Wyre Forest; whilst it was in the Freestyle that the boys won Gold, a truly great team effort from Ben Holmes, Oscar van Vuren, Robert Latta and Toby Elston to defeat a powerful Stourbridge quartet.
In the 15/16 age group, the girls were unstoppable. Megan Willetts, Caitlin Adair, Sophie Groves and Samantha Gearey easily won both Relays; whilst the boys impressed: Jack Weston, Alex Hughes, William Hadley and Glenn Strachan really stepping up to earn two Bronze medals.
Unsurprisingly, Worcester proved very strong in the older age group and in the 17/over men’s events, the class of Mike Adair, Robin Williams, James Marsh and Anthony Redfern saw them double winners again.
However, huge credit should also go the Club’s Masters swimmers…
In the twelve Masters events, Worcester racked up 9 medals…three Gold, four Silver and two Bronze with every single Master winning at least one…and without the contribution of Rachel Stoddart, Michelle Nawarycz, Nicki Bainbridge, Tracey Tayar-Bidwell, Kate Lloyd, Karen Burton, Orla Mahanta, Matt Davis, John Pridden, Malcolm Latta, Paul Tainty, Andy Lowe, Oliver Leaper, James Istead, John Carroll, Derek Strachan and Dave Gearey, the Club could not possibly have won the overall Championships… thank you and well done!
