PERSHORE Swimming Club sent a 12-strong team to the Nuneaton & Bedworth Sprint Meet, with many chasing qualifying times for the forthcoming Midland District Championships in June.
Several swimmers managed to get amongst the medals, as Alexandra Barry, Isobel Cumming, Will Gearey and Naomi Marsden all won gold medals, whilst the rest of the team produced huge personal bests throughout the weekend.
Will Gearey (12) was in blistering form during the weekend, winning a staggering 11 gold and two silver medals as he dominated the boys’ 11/12-year-old age category.
Gearey’s best performance came in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle events. Reaching both finals as number one seed, Gearey blew his rivals away, producing 27.34 (PB) in the 50m freestyle final and 1.00.06 (PB) in the 100m freestyle, taking him to the top of the UK end of year rankings in both events.
He also won gold medals in the 100m fly (1.08.30), 200m freestyle (2.13.38), 100m breaststroke (1.19.59), 200m IM (2.30.15), 200m backstroke (2.29.10), 50m breaststroke (36.26), 50m fly (30.79), 200m fly (2.38.27) and 200m breaststroke (2.50.87), plus silver medals in the 50m backstroke (32.60) and 100m backstroke (1.09.24).
Competing in the girls’ 11/12-year-old age group, Alexandra Barry (11) was another swimmer looking to secure additional MQTs.
Barry put in a serious of focused performances, winning one gold and three bronze medals. Victory for Barry came in the 200m IM, winning in an impressive time of 2.45.45 against older competitors.
In the 50m freestyle, Barry qualified for the final in fifth place but produced a huge performance to snatch bronze in 30.64 (MQT). She also claimed bronze medals in the 200m backstroke (2.41.17) and 100m fly (1.20.28).
Naomi Marsden (12) showed why she is one of the county’s strongest backstroke swimmers with a dominant performance in the 100m backstroke.
Going out hard in the first 50m, Marsden held her speed to win the gold medal in the girls’ 11/12-year-old age group in 1.11.28, which was both a PB and MQT. Marsden then produced another PB in the 50m fly to win a bronze medal in 34.42.
Chris Vizard (13) was another Pershore swimmer in superb form, delivering massive PB performances during the weekend and achieving his first MQT in three events.
Vizard’s best performance came in the boys’ 13/14-year-old 50m fly, clocking 32.22 (PB) for his first MQT and bagging a bronze medal.
He then achieved MQTs in the 50m breaststroke (37.49 PB) and 50m freestyle (28.80 PB). He also produced PBs in the 100m fly (1.11.91), 200m freestyle (2.19.49), 100m breaststroke (1.24.36), 100m backstroke (1.13.83) and 100m freestyle (1.03.46).
Isobel Cumming (12) produced a gutsy display of strength and determination to win the girls’ 11/12-year-old 200m fly. Battling a heavy cold, Cumming managed to hold off a late challenge from a Wrekin College rival to bag the gold in 3.18.58 in a new PB.
Macey French (11) also took on the gruelling 200m fly event and produced a huge personal best time of 3.29.29 to win a much-deserved bronze. French also produced PBs in the 100m backstroke (1.21.92), 50m breaststroke (45.82) and 50m fly (37.32).
Jasmine Hoskins (10) was unlucky not to get amongst the medals as she recorded a string of PBs in all events and was edged into fourth places in a couple of strokes.
Competing in the girls’ 9/10-year-old age group, Hoskins came fourth in the 50m backstroke in 42.16 (PB) and also the 200m backstroke (3.14.96 PB). She also came fifth in the final of the 50m freestyle (34.92 PB) and 200m freestyle (2.58.47 PB).
Other swimmers who produced PBs during the weekend included Gabriella Barry (9) in the 50m freestyle (37.91), 200m freestyle (3.20.65), 200m IM (3.38.96), 50m backstroke (45.23) and 200m backstroke (3.35.79), Tamara Marsden (10) in the 100m backstroke (1.38.82) and 50m breaststroke (51.22), Cameron Leach (11) in the 50m freestyle (34.81), 200m freestyle (2.53.93), 100m breaststroke (1.50.41) and 200m IM (3.17.82), Helena Leach (13) in the 100m backstroke (1.27.63), 50m fly (41.35) and 100m freestyle (1.16.74) and Elizabeth Vizard (15) in the 50m freestyle (32.82), 200m freestyle (2.34.44), 100m breaststroke (1.30.09) and 50m backstroke (38.77).
Pershore look likely to be sending a record number of swimmers to the Midland District Championships in Coventry and are also hoping to send several swimmers to the summer National Championships in Sheffield.