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Ipswich New Year Opener Meet - 14/15th January National Arena Swimming League Round 3 at Enfield - 10th December Sprint Championships report |
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Ipswich New Year Opener Meet - 14/15th January With the Xmas break over it was time to get back in the pool and seek those qualifying times for the Essex County Championships in February and the Regional Championships in May/June. Last weekend Colchester SC sent a huge team of 55 swimmers to the Ipswich New Year Opener Meet at Crown Pools, competing against top swimmers from Ipswich and across the Region. Many of the younger swimmers competed at this level for the first time, but took their share of the 71 new or improved Essex County Qualifying Times (CQT) achieved by the Colchester team, who also gained 7 Regional Qualifying Times(RQT) as well as a host of Personal Best times (PBs). In the 9 years age group, Charlie Hutchison swam superbly to secure 6 CQTs, as well as taking 1 Gold in the 50m freestyle in a time of 36.76 seconds, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze medals, while Isaac Pavey just missed out on the medals, but swam some good PBs. In the Girls events Olivia Norman got 6 CQTs and 1 RQT of 3:04.77 in the 200m backstroke with a superb swim to take 1st place, to add to her other 2 Gold and 1 Silver medals. Millie Lancaster secured 3 CQTs with some great swimming and also competing well in this age group were Jessie Barrett and Amelia Duley. In the 10 years category, Jamie Coles grabbed a Silver medal with a great swim in the 50m breaststroke and 2 more CQTs, while David Purser claimed 2 Essex times in the 50m backstroke and freestyle events, Kirin Yeung just missed out on medal places and Harry Chatterton competed well to get some good PBs. Jordan Glynos-Fernie swam a great time of 40.01 seconds in the 50m butterfly to take Gold to add to her Silver and Bronze medals and 6 CQTs, Daisy Jackaman swam a great 200m backstroke race to grab an Essex time, and Molly Duffett secured a deserved Silver and Essex time in the 50m breaststroke. Spencer Prior swam a good 400m IM to win Gold in a CQT of 5:47.97 in the 11/12 years age group, with Arran Francis taking a Silver in the 100m freestyle, Nicholas Mitchell taking a bronze in the 50m breaststroke and Sam Firth swimming well. Chloe Rudkin claimed a medal of each colour and 2 CQTs, including the tough 400IM event, while Brittany Lodge won Gold in the 50m breaststroke in a CQT of 41.86 seconds, Martha Duley collected a Gold in the 50m freestyle in a CQT of 31.28 seconds, 2 Silvers and 3 more CQTs, sister Ellie Duley swam a great CQT of 33.99 seconds in the 50m freestyle, and Meg Adamson also came home with 3 Essex times. Also competing in this age group were Lizzie French, Elisha Henslick, Madison Young, Phoebe Coles and Ella Dickson. In the Girls 13/14 age group Helena Wright had a great weekend, winning 4 Silver and 2 Bronze medals as well achieving 3 Essex times, Alice Insull returned from injury to take a Silver and CQT in the 50m backstroke and Philippa Davenall swam a superb 400m freestyle to get an RQT and Bronze medal. Jack Keane continued his recovery to claim 2 Bronze medals and an Essex time, while Cameron Simpson swam well to grab 2 CQTs and Alex Carter won a Bronze medal. Charlotte Holt, Katie Leonard, Charlotte McDonnell, Bev Whittaker, Megan Bestis, Elizabeth Blacklock, Alex Cole, Alex Game, Tim Kwok, Matthew Purser and Taylor Young also competed in many events setting some great PBs. Finally, in the 15 years and over category Tim Tripp got 2 RQTs, winning Gold in the 200m backstroke in a time of 2:15.33 and Bronze in the 200m IM, Dan Few claimed 3 Silvers, a Bronze and 7 CQTs, new Team Captain Alex Vipond got 2 Bronze medals and 2 CQTs, Harrison Sadler came away with 2 Silver, 1 Bronze, 3 RQTs and 6 CQTs, Guy Harrison added 2 CQTs and Damian Green grabbed another Essex time. Paige Young claimed 2 Silver medals, as did Sarah Purnell, and Katharine Insull added a Bronze to the team haul, while Chris Kwok also competed well in his events. Joint Head Coach Michelle Young was delighted with the performances, "It was a busy weekend for the swimmers, coaches and parents and, as this was the last chance to qualify for the Essex County Championships, it was important we put in a good performance to get as many qualifying times as possible. I am delighted that we will again be entering a large team in this year's county championships to try and at least match last year's fantastic achievements."
National Arena Swimming League Round 3 at Enfield - 10th December Last Saturday saw the third trip of the season to the Southbury Leisure Centre in Enfield, as Colchester Swimming Club, sponsored by local accountants Griffin Chapman, competed in the 3rd and final Round of Division 1 of the London League of the National Arena Swimming League. The Enfield pool proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Colchester swimmers, who not only retained their Division 1 status for next season by finishing 11th in the table, but finished a very creditable 3rd in the gala with another improved performance of 5 wins, 11 2nd place and 7 3rd place finishes. Joint Head Coach Michelle Young was full of praise for her young team, "We have proved that we deserve our place in Division 1 and we can look forward to competing against some of the top swimmers in the country again next season. The swimmers are taking a well deserved break over Xmas and then it is back in the pool to prepare for the Essex County Championships in February." Heather Rodwell again got the team off to a great start with a 3rd place finish in the Ladies Open 200m IM, followed by the Under 13's, who showed their strength in the Medley Relay with a 1st place for the Girls team of Martha Duley, Pip Davenall, Laura Stephens and Chloe Rudkin, and a great 2nd place for the Boys team of Spencer Prior, Matt Parsons, Jack Keane and Arran Francis, who was back in the pool after a long illness and swam a great freestyle leg of 29.22 seconds. In the Under 15 Freestyle relays, the Girls team of Emily Stephens, Pip Davenall, Meg Boyden and Helena Wright secured a great 3rd place, while the Boys team of Jarrod Bradfield, Isaac Aldridge, Harrison Sadler and Jim Vickers swam a great race to take 1st place and edge out Watford, with Isaac setting a PB of 26.63 seconds. After the first group of relay races, there were some superb individual swims with Pip Davenall taking a 1st place in the girls 13 & U 100m breaststroke in a time of 1:19.66, followed by a great 3rd place for 12 year old Laura Stephens in the 15 & U 100m backstroke, with a PB or 1:07.73, and a solid 2nd place for Jim Vickers in the boys 15 & U 100m backstroke. 14 year old Emily Stephens then pulled out a great 2nd place in the Ladies Open 100m butterfly, before Ellie Duley swam a good 50m butterfly in the 9/10 years age group to take 4th place and Jarrod Bradfield comfortably won the 15 & U 100m butterfly. As the individual events continued, Colchester strengthened their position in the next 5 races, starting with the 13 & U butterfly as Chloe Rudkin broke her PB by a staggering 6 seconds to grab 3rd place and Jack Keane, returning from illness, was just edged out into a great 2nd place. Quick on their heels was Emily Stephens (2nd) and Jim Vickers (3rd) in the 15 & U 100m freestyle, and Heather Rodwell who finished well to take 1st place in the Ladies Open 100m breaststroke. More successes followed as Pip Davenall took a 2nd place in the 13 & U 100m freestyle, Chloe Rudkin took 3rd place and Harrison Sadler took 2nd place in the 15 & U breaststroke, and Heather and Jarrod both claimed 2nd place in the Open 100m freestyle events. In the final relay events of the gala, the girls 13 & U freestyle team grabbed a deserved 2nd place, and the boys 15 & U medley team took 3rd. Four more 4th place finishes secured the points to draw level with Shiverers, with the Colchester team edging out the Brighton team for 3rd place on the night on the basis of eleven 2nd place finishes to six. Well done to the whole team, who also included, Daisy Jackaman, Molly Duffett, Meg Adamson, Jamie Coles, Kirin Yeung, Rory Bennett, Antoine Massey, Grace Sanderson, Paige Young, Katharine Insull, Tom Vickers and Dan Few. Team results were: 1st Edmonton 329 points, 2nd Watford 310, 3rd Colchester 241, 4th Shiverers (Brighton) 241 (Fewer 1st and 2nd place finishes), 5th Bishop Stortford 204, 6th Sutton & Cheam 197, 7th Anaconda (London Holloway) 162, 8th
Greenwich 107 (.Anaconda and Greenwich are relegated to division two)
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© Colchester Swimming Club
