Nuneaton & Bedworth Open Meet - March 2015
05 Apr 2015
Pershore sent a 12-strong team to the Nuneaton & Bedworth Sprint Meet, with many chasing qualifying times for the forthcoming Midland District Championships in June. Several swimmers managed to get amongst the medals, with Alexandra Barry, Isobel Cumming, Will Gearey and Naomi Marsden all winning gold medals whilst the rest of the team produced huge personal bests throughout the weekend.
Will Gearey (12) was in blistering form during the weekend, winning a staggering 11 gold and 2 silver medals as he dominated the boy’s 11/12 year old age category. Gearey’s best performance came in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle events. Reaching both finals as number one seed, Gearey blew his rivals away, producing 27.34 (Pb) in the 50m free final and 1.00.06 (Pb) in the 100m free, taking him to the top of the UK end-of-year rankings in both events. He also won gold medals in the100m fly (1.08.30), 200m free (2.13.38), 100m breast (1.19.59), 200m IM (2.30.15), 200m back (2.29.10), 50m breast (36.26), 50m fly (30.79), 200m fly (2.38.27) and 200m breast (2.50.87) plus silver medals in 50m back (32.60) and 100m back (1.09.24).
Competing in the girl’s 11/12 year old age group, Alexandra Barry (11) was another swimmer looking to secure additional MQTs. Barry put in a serious of focused performances, winning one gold and three bronze medals. Victory for Barry came in the 200m IM, winning in an impressive time of 2.45.45 against older competitors. In the 50m freestyle, Barry qualified for the final in fifth place but produced a huge performance to snatch bronze in 30.64 (MQT). She also claimed bronze medals in the 200m back (2.41.17) and 100m fly (1.20.28).
Naomi Marsden (12) showed why she is one of the County’s strongest backstroke swimmers, with a dominant performance in the 100m back. Going out hard in the first 50m, Marsden held her speed to win the gold medal in the girl’s 11/12 year old age group in 1.11.28 which was both a PB and MQT. Marsden then produced another Pb in the 50m fly to win a bronze medal in 34.42
Chris Vizard (13) was another Pershore swimmer in superb form, delivering massive Pb performances during the weekend and achieving his first MQT in three events. Vizard’s best performance came in the boys 13/14 year old 50m fly, clocking 32.22 (Pb) for his first MQT and bagging a bronze medal. He then achieved MQTs in the 50m breast (37.49 Pb) and the 50m free (28.80 Pb). He also produced PBS in the 100m fly (1.11.91), 200m free (2.19.49), 100m breast (1.24.36), 100m back (1.13.83) and 100m free (1.03.46).
Isobel Cumming (12) produced a gutsy display of strength and determination to win the girls 11/12 year old 200m fly. Battling a heavy cold, Cumming managed to hold off a late challenge from a Wrekin College rival to bag the gold in 3.18.58 in a new Pb. Macey French (11) also took on the gruelling 200m fly event, producing a huge personal best time of 3.29.29 to win a much-deserved bronze. French also produced PBS in the 100m back (1.21.92), 50m breast (45.82) and 50m fly (37.32).
Jasmine Hoskins (10) was unlucky not to get amongst the medals, producing a string of PBS in all events and being edged into fourth places in a couple of strokes. Competing in the girls 9/10 year old age group, Hoskins came fourth in the 50m back in 42.16 (Pb) and also the 200m back (3.14.96 Pb). She also came fifth in the final of the 50m free (34.92 Pb) and the 200m free (2.58.47 Pb)
Other swimmers producing PBS during the weekend also included:
Gabriella Barry (9) in the 50m free (37.91), 200m free (3.20.65), 200m IM (3.38.96), 50m back (45.23) and 200m back (3.35.79); Tamara Marsden (10) in the 100m back (1.38.82) and 50m breast (51.22); Cameron Leach (11) in the 50m free (34.81), 200m free (2.53.93), 100m breast (1.50.41) and 200m IM (3.17.82); Helena Leach (13) in the 100m back (1.27.63), 50m fly (41.35) and 100m free (1.16.74); and Elizabeth Vizard (15) in the 50m free (32.82), 200m free (2.34.44), 100m breast (1.30.09) and 50m back (38.77).
Pershore looks likely to be sending a record number of swimmers to the Midland District Championships held in Coventry and also hoping to send several swimmers to the Summer National Championships in Sheffield.