PERSHORE Swimming Club took a 20-strong team to compete in the Wyre Forest Open meet at Wolverhampton Central Baths and they finished the season strongly with numerous podiums and personal bests.
In the boys 10-year age group, Cameron Leach managed to win a bronze in the 50m freestyle with a time of 37.01.
Patrick Heeks (11), who has already achieved most of his County Qualifying Times (CQT) and is now chasing Midland Qualifying Times (MQT) for 2015, dominated in the his age group.
Heeks was too powerful for the opposition in several events, winning five gold medals and three silver medals. Victories came for Heeks in the 100m IM (1.22.42), 100m backstroke (1.18.06), 100m freestyle (1.11.11), 50m (36.83) and 50m freestyle (33.19), while second places were secured in the 200m IM (2.57.64), 100m fly (1.21.11) and 50m breaststroke (46.69).
Jamie Saunders was another PSC swimmer battling for medals in the 11-year age group, with silver medals coming in the 50m fly (38.82) and 50m freestyle (34.43).
Chris Vizard (12) was in superb form throughout the day and another who dominated his age group, claiming a staggering six gold medals and two silver medals.
Vizard claimed first places in the 200m IM (2.41.47), 100m IM (1.15.83), 100m freestyle (1.05.40), 100m breaststroke (1.27.44), 50m breaststroke (40.61) and 50m freestyle (29.87) and he was unlucky not to make it a straight run of gold medals, just being edged into second places in the 100m backstroke (1.15.43) and 50m backstroke (35.28).
Luke Perry, also in the 12-year age group, was also in great shape, produced several PBs during the day as he fought hard with Vizard for podium finishes.
Perry’s best event was the 100m IM in which he snatched a superb silver in a time of 1.19.91. Perry then racked up five bronze medals, with excellent third placed finishes in the 100m backstroke (1.18.12), 100m freestyle (1.09.91), 50m freestyle (31.51), 50m breaststroke (43.58) and 50m backstroke (36.51).
In the 16 and over age group, Angus Jones came away with silver in the 100m backstroke (1.11.44) and bronze in the 50m backstroke with 33.75.
It was a similar success story for Pershore’s girl swimmers who also dominated the podium and several new faces also got amongst the medals.
Double delight
There was double delight for Lauren Annis in the 9-year-old age group, securing good wins in the 50m freestyle (36.65) and 50m breaststroke (49.36), as well as adding to her growing collection of CQTs. Annis looks one of many young swimmers to watch in the future coming through Pershore’s ranks.
In the 10-year age group, Caitlin Yates bagged three silver medals and was unlucky not to add to her tally. Yates swam hard to take silver medals in the 200m IM (3.16.22), 100m breaststroke (1.41.33) and 50m breaststroke (46.75) and was another who smashed PBs during the day and secured additional CQTs.
Alexandra Barry (11) won eight medals during the day, including two golds. Victories for Barry came in both medley events, with wins in the 200m IM (2.57.13) and 100m IM (1.25.03) highlighting her overall strength in all four swimming disciplines.
Silver medals were won in the 50m fly (37.81) and 100m freestyle (1.16.31) and Barry added four third placed finishes in the 100m breaststroke (1.41.02), 100m backstroke (1.26.01), 100m fly (1.34.25) and 50m freestyle (33.68) to complete an excellent weekend’s swimming.
Macey French was also competing in the 11-year age group and was another tasting podium success. French’s best swim came in the gruelling 100m fly (1.31.35) in which she stormed to a fantastic first place. French then added bronze medals in the 200m IM (3.04.64) and 100m IM (1.26.81), again showing her all-round potential in the sport.
Charlotte Downey (11) also got amongst the medals as she edged out team-mate French to claim silver in the 200m IM (3.01.95) and then produced strong performances in the 50m fly (39.62) and 50m backstroke (39.15) to snatch bronze medals in both.
Dominance
Holly Winkley made sure Pershore dominated the podium in the 11-year group, adding silver medals in the 100m breaststroke (1.40.51) and 50m backstroke (37.30) to the club’s overall total.
In the 12-year age category, Naomi Marsden claimed second place in the 200m IM (2.49.43) and third in the 50m breaststroke (42.99). Marsden also had a couple of fourth placed finishes.
Amy Weston (13) won gold in the 100m backstroke – one of her strongest events. Weston easily won gold in the 100m backstroke with a time of 1.15.97 and moved nearer the MQT for 2015. She then took silver medals in the 100m fly (1.19.35) and 50m backstroke (35.03).
Pershore’s Katie Sharratt competed in the 16 and over category and enjoyed considerable success. Sharratt bagged seven medals including four gold medals.
First places came in the 100m IM (1.24.56), 50m freestyle (33.57), 100m backstroke (1.20.70) and 100m freestyle (1.14.40). She then added silver medals in the 100m fly (1.22.86) and 50m backstroke (37.64) plus bronze in the 50m fly (35.77).
Other swimmers competing at Wyre Forest who just missed out on medals but produced PBs or secured new CQTs included Gabriella Barry (9), Georgia Winkley (9), Amelia Gearey (10), Sophie Thomas (10), Jasmine Hoskins (10), Tamara Marsden (10), Owen Kirby (11), Ronan Williams (11), Isobel Cumming (12), Josh Sharratt (13), Helena Leach (13), Hannah Simister (13) and Andrew Jones (14).