A squad of 13 Stratford Sharks recently attended the Maxwell Swimming Club Level 2 Open Meet in Aylesbury. In a long weekend the swimmers were a credit to themselves and the club with a total of 84 swims resulting in 29 top 3 positions, 10 club records, 18 Midlands Championships qualifying times and 50 personal bests (pb’s). The meet saw success for the Sharks in the very first event the Boys 400m Freestyle. William Foster (9) destroyed his opposition with a new pb by 15 seconds to take 1st place in a new age group club record and Midlands qualifying time. In the 14yr age group, Josh Walker swam a 7 second pb for 2nd place, again in a Midlands qualifying time.

  The Girls 200m Breaststroke saw a strong contingent of 10yr olds with Olga Hall, Kathryn Lythgo, Ysabelle Caswell and Annie Cox taking 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th separated by just 2 seconds. George Brear (18) competing in the 17/over age group achieved a new pb and age group club record in the 50m Backstroke just finishing outside of the medals in 4th place. Going one position better for 3rd was Lucy Tame (13) in the100m Fly. William Foster then took his second 1st place of the morning again in a new club record in the 100m Indvidual Medley, with George Brear (18) 3rd in the 17/overs a positioned matched by Lucy Castle (12) in the 100m Freestyle.

  In the second session of the day, Olga Hall collected the first of her four Midlands Qualifying times of the weekend in the 200 Backstroke taking 2nd place. In the 12yr age group Lucy Castle and Ellen Price achieved new pb’s for 4th & 6th place both swimming inside the clubs previous age group record for this event, Lucy Tame just missing out for 4th in the 13yr age group. The Boys 50m Breaststroke saw William Foster (9) and George Brear (18) take to the water for Stratford both achieving 2nd places in their age groups, William with a new pb and club record and George’s a Midland’s qualifying time. More Midlands qualifying times were delivered by these two in the 200m Indvidual Medley, Foster taking another pb, club record and his third 1st place of the day.

  Four girls took on the sprint 50m Fly, 12yr old’s Ellen Price and Lucy Castle, Lucy Tame (13) and Sarah Peacop, Ellen And Lucy Tame achieving new pb times and Sarah narrowly missing out for 4th place. Moving in to the third session of the first day which saw both the Boy’s & Girl’s 50m & 200m Freestyle competed the Sharks swimmers moved into overdrive. In the Girls 50m Freestyle, Olga Hall and Ysabelle Caswell both took new pb’s in the 10yr age group with Olga taking 2nd place. In the 12yrs age group, Lucy Castle and Ellen Price dominated the opposition for 1st & 2nd, Lucy Tame also gaining a new pb in the 13yr age group.

  Not to be outdone, the boys also delivered in the 50m Freestyle with William Foster again in the medals, this time 2nd in the 9yr age group, Edward Caswell gaining a pb in the 12yrs, Michael Ankrett (16) in his first swim of the day took 3rd place and George Brear achieving another Midlands qualifying time for 3rd in his age group. In the 200m Freestyle, Olga Hall (10) swam to her third second place and in a successful first day her second Midlands qualifying time, Kathryn Lythgo and Ysabelle Caswell also competing in this age group with Ysabelle achieving a 100% pb return from five swims on the first day. In the 12yr age group, Lucy Castle gained a pb and Midlands time whilst swimming to 2nd place, Ellen Price also pb’d.

  William Foster took 1st in the Boy’s 200m Freestyle, another huge 6 seconds pb, club record and Midlands qualifying time, with William only competing on the Saturday it was a superb way to finish a very successful day. Edward Caswell took his second pb of the session in the 12yr age group with Josh Walker (14) finishing 3rd in his age group before Michael Ankrett took his second medal of the session this time 1st in the 16yrs. George Brear just missed out in the 17/over finishing 4th in his 4th Midlands time of the day. The second day started with the Girl’s 400m Freestyle, Olga Hall (10) 3rd in a Midlands qualifying time, Kathryn Lythgo one place behind in 4th. Edward Caswell (12) and George Brear (18) contested the 200m Breaststroke both continued their good form achieving new pb times, Brear 2nd in the 17/over age group, breaking the club record in the process and again in a new Midlands time.

  More medals were delivered in the Girls 50m Backstroke, Olga Hall (10) in 2nd, Lucy Castle (12) taking her second 1st place of the weekend with Ellen Price (12) finishing 4th, all three girls achieving pb’s with Lucy’s time a new club record. The next medal came courtesy of Michael Ankrett in the Boys 16yr 100m Freestyle, 1st place and a new Midlands qualifying time. George Brear (18) achieved another Midlands time with Josh Walker (14) just missing out for 4th place in another big pb just 2/10th of a second outside of the time he requires for the Midland Championships.

  In the Boys 200m Backstroke Josh Walker (14) showed his good form, a 6 second pb earning him 3rd place. Not to be outdone, Edward Caswell managed an even better 8 second pb to underline his returning form, before his sister Ysabelle kept up her record of 100% record of pb’s narrowly missing out to finish 4th in the Girls 10yr 50m Breaststroke, Olga Hall also pb’ing in this age group. George Brear (18) kept up his assault on Midlands Championship qualifying times taking his seventh and eighth in the 50m Fly and 100m Breaststroke the latter in which he took 3rd place. In between these two events, Lucy Castle and Ellen Price competed in the Girls 100m Backstroke, both achieving new pb’s for 2nd & 4th respectively with Lucy setting another age group club record her third of an excellent weekend.

  The meet was rounded off by the Girls 200m Individual Medley, Olga Hall (10) and Ellen Price (12) both gaining new pb’s with Olga’s time her fourth Midlands qualifying time of an extremely enjoyable and successful weekend for the individual swimmers and club.