PERSHORE Swimming Club members came away with 12 podium finishes and were unlucky not to grab far more as they secured several fourth places at the Worcester County Development Open Meet held at Wolverhampton.
Pershore produced over 75 personal bests and also achieved several new County Qualifying Times.
Hamish Cross (11) was in superb form, winning four medals and producing personal bests in every event. Cross took silver in the 11-year-old 50m breaststroke in 47.46 and the 50m freestyle in 35.62 and then added bronze medals in the 100IM in 1.32.70 and the 50m backstroke in 43.59.
He was unlucky not to make it five medals, just being beaten into fourth place in the 50m fly, hitting the wall in 42.90.
Jamie Saunders, also competing in the 11-year-old age group, edged out Cross in the 50m fly to grab the bronze medal, posting a time of 39.26. Saunders was unlucky not to get more medals though, finishing in fourth place in both the 50m backstroke in 44.41 and the 50m freestyle in 36.80.
Cameron Leach produced a good performance in the ten-year-old 50m breaststroke, claiming the bronze medal in 50.94, and Jamie West also grabbed third place in the 13-year-old event with a time of 44.28.
Max Aris (ten) produced a string of strong swims, smashed personal bests and was unlucky not to medal. Aris’ best performance was in the 50m fly when he clocked 44.43, placing fifth, and he moved closer to gaining his first County Qualifying Time (CQT). Aris also grabbed sixth in the 50m freestyle in 38.82.
In the youngest age group, Lewis Cribben handled the nerves well, swimming to sixth place in the nine-year-old 50m freestyle in 43.79. Other swimmers who produced personal bests during the day included William Mullen (ten), Leo Rendall-Baker (ten) and Oliver Smith (ten).
Pershore’s girls also managed to get amongst the medals. Jasmine Franks claimed first place in the girls ten-year-old 100IM with a dominant swim. Franks produced a time of 1.28.53 to win gold, almost five seconds ahead of the second placed swimmer. Franks then added silver in the 50m fly in 43.29.
Lauren Annis produced one of the swims of the day to win the girls nine-year-old 100IM as she touched the wall in 1.37.45 to snatch Pershore’s second gold medal, beating her rivals from Redditch and Stourbridge. Annis added bronze in the 50m fly in 47.78 and edged into fourth in the 50m breaststroke in 51.76.
Alexandra Barry (11) added Pershore’s third gold, also in the 100IM, looking strong in the four legs of the medley to win gold in 1.26.54. Barry was unlucky not to add a medal in the 50m backstroke in 41.03, finishing fourth.
Pershore’s final medal winner was Caitlin Yates who produced an excellent swim in the girls ten-year-old 50m breaststroke in 49.53 to add another bronze medal to the team’s overall haul.
Amelia Gearey (nine), Jasmine Hoskins (nine), Isobel Cumming (12), Hannah Simister (13) and Jasmine Taite (13) were all unlucky not to get themselves on the podium with fourth placed finishes in several events. Taite managed to make the Skins final which was a great achievement, coming fourth.
There were also good performances – some competing in an Open Meet for the first time – from Isabel Fairchild (nine), Annie Garrett (nine), Tamara Marsden (nine), Gabriella Barry (nine), Sophie Thomas (ten), Elena Christodoulou (ten), Hazel Clay (11) and Helena Leach (13).
Pershore’s head coach, Tom Naughton, said: “There were some promising performances throughout the day and it was great to see some new faces competing.
“The younger swimmers are the future of our club so we are delighted to see how they all responded to pressure. There were many excellent swims from Hamish Cross, Max Aris, Oliver Smith, William Mullen, Lewis Cribbin, Isabella Fairchild and Annie Garrett.”