PERSHORE Swimming Club enjoyed their best ever medal haul at the first weekend of the 2015 Worcestershire County Championships at Wolverhampton Central Baths, coming away with a superb 23 age group titles, ten silvers and nine bronze medals.
For some of the swimmers, it was their first time competing at the Championships, whilst for others they were defending age group titles won in 2014.
In the girls’ 11-year-old age group, Megan Annis (11) was in top form during the whole weekend, going head-to-head with team-mate Alexandra Barry (11) in many of the events as she picked up five gold medals.
Victories for Annis came in the 100m IM (1.15.40), 100m backstroke (1.14.05 MQT), 50m fly (34.00 MQT), 50m freestyle (30.54 MQT) and 100m fly (1.17.10). Annis also picked up a silver in the 400m IM (5.49.18) and bronze in the 200m freestyle (2.29.62).
Barry also produced some outstanding performances and bagged her first County age group titles in the 400m freestyle and 400m IM. Barry produced massive personal bests to win both the 400m freestyle (5.07.62) and 400m IM (5.47.26), narrowly missing out on Midland Qualifying Times.
She also won silvers in the 100m IM (1.17.17), 200m freestyle (2.24.60), 50m fly (34.69), 50m freestyle (30.69 MQT) and bronze medals in the 100m backstroke (1.15.09 MQT) and 100m fly (1.22.13).
Other notable swims in the 11-year-old age group included a well deserved bronze medal for Charlotte Downey in the 400m freestyle (5.21.62).
In the boys’ 11-year-old age group, Patrick Heeks retained his 2014 titles. Gold medals for Heeks came in the 100m backstroke (1.15.47), 200m backstroke (2.39.86) and 50m backstroke (35.42 MQT). He then added silver medals in the 50m fly (34.60) and bronze medals in the 400m IM (5.52.78) and 200m freestyle (2.27.27).
Hamish Cross (11), competing at his first County Championships, produced a huge PB in the 100m breaststroke to snatch a fantastic bronze medal in 3.22.02, whilst Kieran Cooper was unlucky not to get on the podium with a brilliant fourth place in the 200m backstroke (2.45.60).
In the boys’ 12-year age group, Simon Sweatman and Will Gearey were often battling each other for the medals. Sweatman claimed four golds, with wins in the 100m backstroke (1.08.95 MQT), 200m backstroke (2.26.76 MQT), 200m freestyle (2.13.50 MQT) and 50m backstroke (32.45).
Gearey won his first ever age group titles with victories in the 200m breaststroke (2.51.38 MQT) and 100m breaststroke (1.20.03 MQT). He also won silver medals in the 50m fly (30.66 MQT), 400m IM (5.21.90 MQT), 200m backstroke (1.09.44 MQT), 200m backstroke (2.28.50 MQT), 200m freestyle (2.13.50 MQT) and bronze in the 50m backstroke (33.40 MQT).
In the girls’ 14-year-old age group, Jasmine Taite was another swimmer to notch up her first County age group titles. Taite’s first victory came in the 100m IM (1.14.41) with a powerful display and then she added a second gold in the 50m freestyle (29.78). She was also just edged into fourth place in the 50m fly (32.68).
In the Masters events, Helen Annis made it back-to-back golds in the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke, while Marie Porter grabbed a fantastic silver in the 50m freestyle to add to Pershore’s medal haul.
Jasmine Franks (10), Hannah Woodcock (11), Macey French (11), Luke Perry (12) and Naomi Marsden (12) were all unlucky not to medal despite strong performances, coming fourth in several events.
Other swimmers competing at the counties and producing personal bests included Gabriella Barry (10), Lauren Annis (10), Tamara Marsden (10), Owen Kirby (11), Ronan Williams (11), Cameron Leach (11), Isobel Cumming (12), Isabella Woodcock (12), Chris Vizard (13), Amy Cooper (13), Alex Dobell (17) and Angus Jones (17).