A QUARTET of Pershore Swimming Club members tackled the long distance events at the last weekend of the Worcester County Swimming Championships held at Redditch and came away with three gold medals and one silver medal, as well as producing massive personal bests.
These latest medals increased Pershore’s total medal haul to 78 in age group categories, with a sublime 37 gold medals, 23 silver medals and 18 bronze medals.
In the 1,500m freestyle Alexandra Barry added to her collection of gold medals in the girls’ 11-year-old age group with an impressive performance at her first competitive attempt at the distance.
Barry produced a well-paced and controlled swim to take gold in 20.18.38, which was a personal best by 2 minutes, 50 seconds.
Team-mates Will Gearey and Simon Sweatman again battled it out in the boys’ 12-year-old age group, as both swimmers dug deep and produced strong swims.
Gearey eventually took the title after a very close race, taking the gold medal in 18:46.18, which was a 1 minute, 30-second PB and also another Midland Qualifying Time.
Sweatman also swam well, clocking 19:08.41 for the silver medal and producing a massive 40-second personal best.
In the 800m freestyle Isobel Cumming was the sole entry in the girls’ event for Pershore. Cumming also did well with a 14-second PB, coming sixth in the 12-year-old age group with a time of 11:04.81.
Gearey added a second gold medal by winning the boys’ 12-year-old 800m freestyle in 9:53.85 to post a huge 1 minute, 40-second PB.
Pershore coach Ian Cumming said: “Big PBs in these events come as a result of hard training over many months and from demonstrating total commitment to the sport.
“These performances in the distance events and those over the last two weekends in the other distances in the County Championship were nothing short of amazing and make me really proud to be associated with the fantastic swimmers from Pershore Swimming Club.”
2015 age group county champions: Megan Annis (11) – 100m IM, 100m backstroke, 50m fly, 50m freestyle, 100m fly, 200m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, 50m breaststroke; Alexandra Barry (11) – 400m freestyle, 200m IM, 400m IM, 1,500m freestyle; Patrick Heeks (11) – 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m fly; Will Gearey (12) – 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 100m IM, 200m IM, 200m fly, 100m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 1,500m freestyle; Simon Sweatman (12) – 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 50m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle; Jasmine Taite (14) – 100m IM, 50m freestyle.