Midlands Age Group Championships 2013
27 Jun 2013
PERSHORE TRIO
COMPETE AT MIDLANDS
Three rising
young stars from Pershore Swimming Club competed in the British Gas Midlands
2013 Age Group Championships at Coventry in the 50m pool, coming away with a
silver and bronze medal between them and smashing nine personal bests on the
way.
Simon
Sweatman (11), Isabella Woodcock (10) and Naomi Marsden (11) took on the best
age group swimmers from clubs across the East and West Midlands region, once
again doing the club proud.
Sweatman
qualified for eight events across the two weekends in the boys 11 year old
category, recording seven personal best times and winning a bronze medal in the
100m freestyle in 1.06.25 (pb) and coming sixth in the 100m backstroke. He also
recorded a massive 11 second pb in the 400m freestyle in a new time of 5.07.59
and five second pb in the 100m fly (1.19.03) as well as pbs in the 200 IM (2:53.68), the 200m free (2:29.48), 200m
back (2:43.00) and the 400m IM (6:07.75). Sweatman has
already enjoyed phenomenal success in 2013, winning an amazing 14 Worcester
county championship titles in March as well as setting several new County
records on the way. Sweatman currently
enjoys number one ranking status (end of year rankings as at December) in the
West Midlands in the boyÆs 11 year old age group in the 50m freestyle, 100m
freestyle, 50m back, 100m back and 200m back. He is also ranked in the top ten UK for the 50m freestyle (6th),
the 100m freestyle (8th), the 50m fly (5th), the 50m back
(7th) and the 100m back (4th). He has also successfully represented
Worcestershire County on several occasions at Inter-County meetings.
Woodcock
continued to impress in her speciality breast stroke event, qualifying for the
Midlands Championships in second position, with the result going to form. Woodcock produced a fantastic performance in
the GirlÆs 10 year old 100m breast stroke, recording a new pb of 1.34.22 to
take a silver medal in her first championship. Like Sweatman, Woodcock also produced a series of excellent performances
at the Worcestershire County Championships, becoming a double county champion
in the GirlÆs 10 year old 50m and 100m breast stroke as well as silver
medallist in the 200m breast stroke. Woodcock is
currently ranked number one in the West Midlands for 50m and 100m breast stroke,
number two in the same events in the UK end of year rankings and just received
her first County call up this month.
Marsden
proved she is currently one of the best age-group backstroke swimmers in
Worcestershire, producing a new pb in the Girls 11 year old 100m backstroke in
1.19.75. Marsden finished a very
credible 16th position overall, with this result putting her top in
the county and West Midlands age group at the Midlands Championship. She became County Champion in the 50m
backstroke in March this year as well as runner up in the 100m and 200m
backstroke. In the end of year rankings
in the West Midlands region, Marsden is currently ranked number one in the 50m
back, third in the 100m backstroke and fourth in the 200m backstroke.
Woodcock and Marsden also recently swam
in the National IAPS (The Independent Association of Prep Schools) Swimming
Finals at the K2 Crawley in May representing their school, KingÆs Hawford. Woodcock swam in the Girls 10 year
old 25m Breaststroke, winning her heat in a time of 18.99secs to qualify for
the final. She then finished second in
the final, with a time of 19.38secs, to pick up a silver medal. Marsden swam in the Girls 11 year
old 50m backstroke in 11th place with a time of 38.71secs. She won her heat in a new PB time of
36.53secs to qualify for the Final, eventually finishing seventh 7th with
another PB time of 36.18secs.
Tom Naughton, head coach at Pershore
SC, said: "All three swimmers produced
fantastic performers at the Midlands and were up against some very strong
competition. To come away with two
medals is a great result for Pershore and we are very proud of Simon, Isabella
and Naomi. TheyÆve all produced
consistently good results this year and a real credit to the club.ö
Ends.