Worcester sent a 50-strong team to the City of Bristol Open Meet (Level 3) which proved to be the perfect platform for the club to showcase its strength in-depth, delivering more than 60 podium finishes.
13 gold medals, 23 silver and 26 bronze were amassed by the team, with many taking the last opportunity to improve personal bests, achieve additional County Qualifying Times (CQT) and in some cases, achieve Regional Qualifying Times (RQT) for the West Midlands 2017 Championship.
In the boys 9-year age group, there was little to separate the impressive performances of William Pridden and William Thomas. Pridden took gold in the 200m freestyle (3.07.26), silver in the 100m IM (1.39.80) and 400m freestyle (6.45.86), adding a bronze in the 50m backstroke (44.54).
Thomas was equally impressive taking gold in the 100 IM (1.35.70), silvers in the 200m breaststroke (3.33.49) and 200m freestyle (3.12.65), and bronze in the 100 freestyle (1.24.57).
In the girls 10-year age group, Maisie Lyons and Oliver Eggleton continued to demonstrate impressive form.
Lyons stormed to an impressive gold in the 50m breaststroke (41.90) and in the process achieved her first Regional Qualifying Time. She also took silvers in the 100m breaststroke (1.40.15) and 50m backstroke (40.35) and bronze in the 100m backstroke (1.30.70). Eggleton claimed gold in the 100m breaststroke (1.38.29), silver in the 200m breaststroke (3.29.56) and bronze in the 50m breaststroke (44.25).
In the boys 10-year age group, Charles Dixon put in a personal best performance to secure a well-earned bronze medal in the 50m backstroke (44.22).
In the boys 11-year category, Adam Rutter also produced personal best performances, taking medals in the process. He finished second in the 50m backstroke (39.46) and third in the 50m fly (36.33).
The girls 12-year age group saw Lauren Annis and Rebecca Yates adding a further five medals to the already impressive Worcester tally. Annis headed the field in the 50m backstroke taking gold and achieving a Regional Qualifying Time in the process (34.49). She then went on to secure the silver in the 50m fly (35.47).
Yates took centre stage in the 200m backstroke, securing gold (2.39.57). She then went on to demonstrated her IM pedigree with bronze medals in the 100m IM (1.15.91) and 200 IM (2.40.40).
Not to be outdone by the girls, the 12-year boys, Brodie Willets and Henry Halford, put in equally distinguished performances. Halford’s strong swim was rewarded with a second-place finish in the 50m breaststroke (40.77) and Willets determination gave him a third-place finish and a well-deserved RQT in the 200m backstroke (2.34.80).
Megan Annis was in fine form for the 13-year girls, putting in several personal best performances, achieving Regional Qualifying Times and taking an impressive haul of medals: gold’s in the 50m fly (30.63 – RQT) and 50m backstroke (32.22 – RQT); silver in the 100m fly (1.09.29 – RQT); bronze in the: 100 freestyle (1.03.12 – RQT), 100 IM (1.11.40), 200m backstroke (2.28.83 – RQT) & 200m IM (2.34.42 – RQT).
In the 13-year boys, Louis Doyle stepped up to produce a number of personal best performances and two Regional Qualifying Times. He secured gold in the 50m freestyle (27.12 – RQT), took a nail-biting joint second place in the 50m breaststroke (37.56), with bronzes in the 100m backstroke (1.08.01 – RQT) and 100m IM (1.10.26).
In the 14-year girls age group Naomi Marsden, a welcome recent addition to the club, was keen to show what she could do and she certainly didn’t disappoint. Putting in a strong, determined performance, she claimed an impressive 6 podium finishes and obtained 4 Regional Qualifying Times. She took gold’s in the 50m fly (30.96 – RQT) and 100m backstroke (1.08.06 – RQT); silver’s in 100m freestyle (1.04.24), 200m backstroke (2.30.71 -RQT) and 50m freestyle (29.00 – RQT); bronze 100m (1.12.62).
In addition, Emily West put in a fantastic performance to add a well fought bronze in the hotly contested 50m breaststroke (38.17).
The 14-year boys saw Alex Farmer gain several personal best times and two bronze medals – 50m fly (31.01) and 100m IM 1.07.83).
In the 15-year girls, Lily Merrell, Charlotte Yates and Sophie Davies stepped up to further increase the medal tally by an impressive 7 podium finishes, with each achieving at least 1 Regional Qualifying Times.
Merrell took silvers in the 100 IM (1.12.99 – RQT) and 100m breaststroke (1.16.49 – RQT), as well as bronze in the 50m fly (32.38). Yates took gold in the 200m breaststroke (2.51.76 – RQT), and two bronzes medals – 100m breaststroke (1.19.96 – RQT) and 50m breaststroke (36.47 – RQT). While Davies took silver in the 200m breaststroke (2.54.56 – RQT).
In the 15-year boys Kai Gooden-Morris and Harvey Lloyd added a further 6 medals and no less than 5 Regional Qualifying Times to the overall team total.
Lloyd touched first to take the gold in the 200m breaststroke (2.39.03 RQT), just ahead of team mate Gooden-Morris in silver (2.40.4 – RQT). Lloyd then went on to finish in second place in the: 50m breaststroke (32.65 – RQT); 50m fly (30.19 –RQT); 100m breaststroke (1.11.03 – RQT). Gooden-Morris completed his tally with a bronze in the 200 IM (2.27.51).
In the oldest age group, 16 & over girls, Yasemin Tayar and India Fern put in fine performances to add the final 3 medals to an outstanding team performance. In a strong field, Tayar put in a personal best performance to take the bronze in the 50m fly (31.21). While Fern also took the opportunity to impress with personal best performances that saw her take bronze medals in the 100m backstroke (1.13.83) and 50m backstroke (34.90).
Overall it was a great event for Worcester and yet another fantastic team effort by all 50 competitors, who were a real credit to both themselves and the club.
The team consisted of: Lauren Annis, Megan Annis, Josie Armstrong, Amelia Ciancio, Amy Cooper, Kieran Cooper, Lydia Cooper, Poppy Daly, Sophie Davis, Charles Dixon, Hannah Dixon, Jessica Dobson, Natasha Dobson, Louis Doyle, Olivia Eggleton, Alex Farmer, Baeli Fern, India Fern, Kai Gooden-Morris, Henry, Halford, Lauren Hill, Ben Holmes, Lauren Hughes, Alice Kearley, Daisy Kearley, Daniel Kearley, Robert Latta, Harvey Lloyd, Maisie Lyons, Ciara Mahanta, Naomi Marsden, Charlotte Martin, Ellie McGinnes, Emma McKay, Lily Merrell, Eleanor Niel, William Pridden, Adam Rutter, Craig Strachan, Leyla Tayar, Yasemin Tayar, William Thomas, Isabella Trow, Oscar Van Vuren, Carmen West, Emily West, Alex Westwood, Brodie Willetts, Charlotte Yates, Rebecca Yates.