05 Jul 2011

Pershore Swimmers win Respect.

 

Ten swimmers from Pershore Swimming Club competed at the weekend in Birmingham at the nationally renowned Boldmere Water Carnival coming away with fifty place position pennants, ten 1st places and over forty personal bests (pbs). Only a hard core of swimmers were there for the duration being Harry Sykes (13), Tyler Mclean (10), Lizzie Vizard (12), Tazmin Pugh (11) though they were joined for various periods by brothers Angus (13) and Drew Jones (11), Josh Sharratt (9), Chris Vizard (9), Simon Sweatman (9) and Makenzie Christys (10).

McLean entered twelve events and achieved a remarkable four 1st places amidst tough opposition also collecting seven 3rd place pennants tgether with three pb's though the elusive sub 40sec barrier for the 50m breast remained elusive achieving 40.02. At the end of the meet he had totted up 52pts in the top boy competition from the total entry of approximately 130 boys ending in 6th place overall.

Lizzie Vizard was another who enjoyed a successful weekend with pb's in most swims collecting 2nd place in the 50m breast followed by 5th in the 200m breast. This was her young brother's first big Open Meet but Christopher was not at all fazed recording pb's in all his events with three 4th places in the 50m free, 50m fly, 50m back and another stunning new pb in the 200m free of 3.18.33 this took the record for biggest single improvement over the weekend of a personal best of 21%.

Not to be outdone nine year old team mate Josh Sharratt was also out to impress with a 1st place podium finish in the 50m fly with 52.94, followed by a gutsy 3rd place in the 50m back following his swim goggles coming off and also a great 2nd place in the 200m free with a new pb of 3.09.52.

Tazmin Pugh had the heaviest weekend from all of the Pershore swimmers but still managed to collect four 1st places, four 2nd and two 3rd placed finishes. As last year competition was tough in the guise of one of the top British swimmers Rebbecca Williams travelling down from Middlesborough with eighty of her team mates whilst another veritable 'Army' of fifty swimmers belonging to 'Killerwhales S.C.' had another two coaches converging on the Stechford Cascades venue this time from Havering in Essex.

With swimmers unable to enter any event in which they had achieved the National Age Group Championships qualifying times Pugh could not do her favourite event the 200m back. Pugh did not have to wait long though for three victories coming from elsewhere in the 50m and 100m backstroke and 50m fly events. Exciting finishes continued on the second day of competition but in the 50m free (30.96), the 100m free and the 100m IM Pugh lost out sometimes by only three hundredths of a second to Williams and Stratford Sharks swimmer Kathryn Lythgo also both National qualifiers. . Pugh nevertheless accumulated more pts in the overall top girl competition than any of her adversaries taking 3rd place with 52pts from all the 210 girls present.

Simon Sweatman swam just two events but took 2nd places in both the 50m free and 400m free already proving the potential he has been showing in training. Ten year old Makenzie Christys improved as the meet went on as she adapted to the big gala atmosphere finishing well in her final event the 100m IM with a pb of 1.39.73.

There was little brotherly love showing when Angus and Drew Jones tried to outdo each other for trophies with elder brother Angus just competing on the first day taking 5th place in the 100m and 200m back recording four pb's. Meanwhile brother Drew joined the fray half way through the first day but immediately took 4th in the 100m back (1.21.87) and 50m fly (38.92). Coming back on the second day Drew won even more rewards taking 4th in the 400m free (5.19.46) with 3rd places in the grueling 200m fly (3.27.97) 50m breast (44.39) and 100m IM (1.23.84) finishing with six pennants and eight pb's.

Sykes always excells at this end of season event as he did again this year with a 1st place recorded in the 50m breaststroke together with a 2nd in the 100m breast, and 3rd places in both the 200m breast and 100m Individual Medley (IM) helping make up the five pb's out of his eight events.

New member eleven year old Owen Leeks who has come to us after several years at Evesham Swimming Club also competed in a few events (the last time, having entered some months ago, with the Evesham hat) winning two 6th place pennants for a great new pb in the 100m backstroke with 1.27.28 and also the 200m back with 3.01.30.

Ian

With Pershore being announced 6th top visiting club out of the 25 present many with four times the membership,  it was the 'ice-ing on the cake' for a most successful weekend.


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