Stratford Sharks held their Annual Club Championship’s for 2008 over the course of a week before holding a well attended Club Disco and Awards Evening.

  The Championships were well supported by swimmers from both the Junior and Senior sections of the club and saw young novice swimmers taking to the pool for some of their first competitive races in the same sessions as experienced National level competitors

  A staggering 110 new Championship best times were achieved during the course of the week, the pick of these being from 9 year old Kathryn Lythgo (6), 10 year old Molly Wright (6), 11 year old’s Edward Caswell (10) and Lucy Castle (4), 12 year old Lucy Tame (6), 13 year old’s Josh Walker (6) and Kara Malins (4), 14 year old’s Josh Newman (5) and Rebecca Tame (7), 15 year old Joe Evans (12) and 18 year old Lawrie Mills (10).

  Other young stars to look out for in the future are 7 year olds Hannah Lythgo and Jessica Martindale, Hannah winning two bronze and a silver in the 8 and under age group, 8 year olds Charlotte Cox (5 golds), Hannah Bexson (1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) Sofia Ward (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) Jennifer Forysiak (1 gold, 1 bronze), Robin Hughes (5 golds), Dominic Furey (1 gold, 1 silver). In the 9 year olds Kathryn Lythgo took a clean sweep of 8 golds in her events with Christian Clements collecting 6 gold and 2 silver, other multiple medal winners in this age being Ysabelle Caswell (5 silver, 2 bronze), Elinor Bird (2 silver, 1 bronze) Gregor Kelling (1 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze), Jonathan Furey (2 gold, 2 bronze) and Oliver Quin (4 bronze). The 10 year old form swimmers were Molly Wright and Joshua Martindale, with Molly collecting 9 golds and Joshua 6 gold and 2 silver, other medallists in this age group were Harriet Green (4 silver, 3 bronze), Hannah Anderson (3 silver, 2 bronze), Ianto Davis (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), Harry Forty (1 gold, 1 bronze) and Alex Bowen (3 silver).

  Some fantastic swimming from the younger members should see a very strong representation of Stratford Sharks at the 2009 Warwickshire County Championships and should give their Coaches some welcome selection problems before next years Junior Swimming League

  At the end of the week their successes and other achievements from the clubs swimmers in 2008 which included 9 swimmers representing Warwickshire County including new caps for Edward Caswell, Lucy Castle and Michael Ankrett, 13 swimmers qualifying for The Midland Championships, 5 for the National Championships and 3 selected for England Talent Programmes were celebrated at the Club’s Presentation Evening

  Championship Age Group Trophies were awarded to 8 years Charlotte Cox/Robin Hughes, 9 years Kathryn Lythgo/Christian Clements, 10 years Molly Wright/Joshua Martindale, 11 years Ellen Price/Edward Caswell, 12 years Lucy Tame/Andrew Morley, 13 years Kara Malins/Josh Walker, 14 years Rebecca Tame/Josh Newman, 15 years Katherine Cardwell/Joe Evans, 17 years/over Rebecca Sherren/Lawrie Mills.

  Chairman David Wright thanked the volunteers who keep the club running to exceptional standards and a number of awards were made to members of the various sections of the club celebrating their achievements which not only consists of swimming but which also has an enthusiastic and vibrant Triathlon and Life Saving Section. Amongst these awards special mention must be made of the Lifetime Achievement Award and Honorary Membership made to Sue Kennedy for her services to the club