Pershore S.C. boast National Champions.
23 Nov 2009
Local National Champions.
Bowbrook House school pupil's Harry Sykes and Tazmin Pugh have recently brought back five National titles to the vale. They won their way through the ISA Midland Swimming Championships to go forward to represent the Region in the ISA National Championships at Coventry's Olympic size pool. Sykes was swimming the 50m breaststroke for U/13 (yr 7); 200m freestyle and Medley relay events in the 50m Coventry pool on Saturday whilst Pugh competed in the U/11 (yr 5) 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle relay event.
With seven Regions represented from all areas of the country Harry was first to swim and with a time (44.38) only four hundredths outside the ISA national record won his first gold medal of the day. Pressed into action and hoping to build on her National Swimming Titles in the same event last year Tazmin Pugh led from the start to record 38.89 (a personal best) a gold medal and a wonderful new National ISA Record to be declared the New National Champion for the 50m back for U/11 girls. Although not appearing in the ASA ranking and results page this was nevertheless the third quickest 9yr girls time ever recorded in UK in a Long Course pool which converts to 38.29 for a short course.
Harry Sykes' next race was in the 200m Medley Relay taking the third breaststroke leg. Harry built up a lead for his Midland's team mate with a time even quicker than in his individual event with the Midlands team eventually pipping the North into second place. This meant another call up to the winners podium to receive his second gold medal.
With other competitors recording poor butterfly results the Midlands team needed boosting first up was the U/11 girls in the freestyle relays. Pugh swam the third leg and diving in neck to neck with the North Pugh built up a good lead to enable the anchor leg Ella Grainger from City of Leicester to extend the lead further and win comfortably. Tazmin and her team mates gained an invaluable 8 points for the win and more gold medals on the podium.
Harry was in his final event of the day and with all his team mates building a lead on each leg another comfortable win for the Midlands was recorded winning his third gold medal of the day. Two Bowbrook pupils five events, five gold medals five times National Champions, one National Record. The results could not be better, or could they. Last year Tazmin Pugh won the trophy for the Midlands most outstanding swimmer U/10 girls. She was again presented with this year's trophy for the U/11 girls, another outstanding achievement.