Date Created: Sun 15th Nov 2009
Six Worcester swimmers travelled to the splendid new swimming pool at Corby for the Midland Winter Short Course Championships over the weekend of 7/8th November.
Whilst there were fine performances from Hayley Weaver (excellent PB in 50m Butterfly), Joel Smith and Cara Lee, it was the Club's three Breaststroke specialists who made the biggest splash!
Tabitha Monkhouse was in brilliant form, recording 4 Personal Best times - most notably a stunning 2.43.12 in the Women's 200m Breaststroke. Whilst this qualified her for the Final where she finished 8th, picking up a Bronze medal as the 3rd best Junior (15&under) swimmer, it was more critically her first ever National Qualifying Time.
Knocking 2 seconds off her only 2-week old PB, itself a 4-second improvement on her previous best time, she set a blistering pace in one of the early heats that no one else could match. Although only narrowly (0.15 seconds) inside the National QT, this was a terrific achievement so early in the season - the Championships not being held until August next year - and is reward for all Tabitha's hard work, consistently training 14-15 hours per week.
Not to be outdone, her brother Rupert showed a fine return to form, also in the 200m Breaststroke. In a time only fractionally outside his PB, he qualified 8th for the Men's Final and then showed all his skills and determination to move up a place to 7th.
Sarah Cowin swam equally well and could count herself a tad unlucky, though such are the fine margins in swimming. Arguably trying too hard, her stroke rate a tad too quick, she missed the Final of the Women's 50m Breaststroke by mere hundredths of a second in 9th place, albeit still in a highly encouraging Personal Best Time.
Head Coach Mark Stowe was delighted: "All the swimmers swam well though clearly Tabby was the star. Although only 14 herself, she is a real role model for the younger swimmers at the Club and an excellent example of how Long Term Athlete Development should work. Her success is the result of substantial commitment and sacrifice over the last 3 years - so I'm thrilled that she is now beginning to reap the rewards that all her hard work deserves".