John Neale Trophy - 9 Feb 2015
09 Feb 2015
Pershore Swimming Club has had a flying start to 2015, winning the John Neale Trophy Gala at Redditch at the weekend. Pershore’s young team held off a late challenge from home side Redditch to secure their first silverware of the year, eventually winning by over 15 points.
Martha Cross kick-started Pershore’s challenge on the evening, producing a 43.66 (Pb) in the girls 10/u 50m freestyle, while James Heeks managed a fantastic second place in 40.96. Grace Styler swam hard for third place in the 9 year 25m breaststroke, clocking 30.33 whilst Andrew Thorner produced a huge pb time of 29.15 in the boys event.
Pershore didn’t have to wait long for its first win, with the girl’s 11/u 4 x 25m medley team holding off the challenge of Kingsbury for maximum points in 1.20.09. The boy’s medley team couldn’t quite match the girl’s performance but still managed a useful fourth place in 1.26.00.
Jasmine Franks produced victory number two for Pershore, winning the 12/u 50m back in 42.89 (Pb) whilst Hamish Cross picked up the team’s first speeding ticket of the night with a massive Pb of 40.08. Jasmine Hoskins also secured maximum points, easily winning the girls 10/u 50m breaststroke in 53.86 (Pb), whilst Robert Thorner snatched fourth in the boys event with a 1.00.63.
After the first ten events, Kingsbury held the lead on 40 points, with Pershore back in second place on 36 and Redditch third on 35.
Both the girls and the boys 9 year old 4 x 25m medley teams found the going tough, with the girls taking fifth place in 1.53.08 and the boys taking third in 1.35.67. The girls and boys 11/u 4 x 25m freestyle relay teams fared slightly better, both securing much-needed second places in 1.09.92 and 1.12.42 respectively.
Win number four came from Holly Winkley in the girls 12/u 50m fly, producing a new pb time of 41.31 and Kieran Cooper made it back-to-back wins also winning the boys event in 38.88 and another massive pb.
Good efforts from the girls and boys 10/u 4 x 25m medley relay added more points to Pershore’s challenge, with both snatching silvers in 1.30.35 and 1.27.82 respectively.
Hoskins than produced her second win of the evening, with a superb victory in the girls 11/u 50m back in 43.50 while Max Aris pinched fourth with a 47.49, just outside his previous best time.
After 20 events, Pershore had hauled back Kingsbury to take the lead with 80 points, pushing Kingsbury back into second on 72 and Redditch staying in third on 69.
Franks was soon back in action, again producing an outstanding performance to take gold in the girls 12/u 50m breaststroke in 45.99. Ronan Williams took fourth in the boy’s event, producing a new Pb of 50.77.
More maximum points were claimed by the girl’s 10/u 4 x 25m freestyle team, with the boy’s equivalent taking third in 1.22.54 to keep the team’s challenge for the trophy going strong.
Lauren Annis, swimming up an age group, in the 11/u 50m fly, managed a fantastic third place in 45.67, while Oliver Smith also managed third in the boys with a new pb time of 46.67. Annis then went one better in the 12/u 50m free to take second with a 36.05, with Williams taking third in 36.46.
After 30 events, Pershore had managed to keep the lead with 131 points, with Redditch moving into second on 127 and Kingsbury nearly out of the running in third on 111.
Another dominant win by the girls 8 x 25m free in 2.22.95 helped extend the team’s lead, which was essential as David Annis unfortunately picked up the team’s second speeding ticket in the 10/u 50m back, going too quick in 44.46. Gabriella Barry managed to keep within the speed limit, and in doing so, also scooped a useful victory in the girls 10/u 50m back in 45.88.
Lily Mullen, one of several new faces to the competitive scene, claimed fourth in the girls 9 year 25m freestyle, while Ethan Stanley produced a new pb to take fifth in the boys event.
Pershore’s relay teams then enjoyed consecutive victories in the girls and boys 12/u 4 x 25m free, touching the wall in 1.03.49 and 1.01.76 respectively, and the boys 8 x 25m team also won in 2.22.31. Hoskins made it a hat-trick of wins to complete a great night, winning the girls 10/u 25m fly in 19.94 (Pb).
Luke Drayton, another new face, showed no sign of nerves to snatch fourth in the boys 9 year 25m back in 27.19 (Pb).
With just three relays remaining, Pershore found themselves seven points clear of Redditch and barring disqualifications favourites for the trophy.
Pershore finished the job in style, with all three relays teams taking victory, with first places for the girls 12/u 4 x 25m medley (1.10.56), the boys 12/u medley (1.15.62) and the mixed 8 x 25m free in 2.17.21.
The final standings were Pershore 210 points, Redditch 193, Kingsbury 188, Blythe 176, Bromsgrove 141 and Stratford 126.
Pershore’s head coach, Tom Naughton, said: "What a great way to start 2015 with another trophy. We handed several competitive debuts to several swimmers and they all performed tremendously!”