Stratford Sharks have completed the second week of the Warwickshire County Swimming Championships. Another successful week saw a further 12 top 3 positions, 5 club records, 7 Midlands Championship Qualifying Times, 1 National Qualifying Time and 2 County Championship Titles. In the first event of the day Andrew Morley (13) took on the tough 400m Individual Medley Event finishing 10th in the 10/14 year age group. Further top 10 positions were delivered in the Girls 200m Individual Medley, Olga Hall (10) just outside the medals with 4th in the 9/10 year age group with Kathryn Lythgo 10th, Ellen Price (12) 7th in the 11/12 age group.

  William Foster (9) delivered the first club record of the day in the 9/10 years 50m Breaststroke finishing 9th and the top 9yr old in this event. In the 13/14 year age group Aleksander Forysiak (13) took a fine 3rd place and a new club record, George Brear (18) was 2nd in the 15/over age group qualifying for the County Championship Final. The Girls 100m Freestyle event is contested in just two age groups, 11/13 years and 14/over. The 10 year olds can only compete in a time trial with no medals available, however this did not stop a strong Sharks contingent with 4 in the top 10, Olga Hall 2nd, Kathryn Lythgo 3rd, Seren Mahon 6th and Ysabelle Caswell 9th. Lucy Castle (12) despite suffering a dislocated thumb earlier in the week bravely competed finishing 4th in the 11/13 age group in a Midlands Age Group Qualifying Time.

  The second and third club records of the day fell in the Boys 200m Freestyle. The first went to William Foster (9) with a 3rd place in the 9/10 year age group in a Midlands Age Group Qualifying time, with Joe Evans (16) taking the other with 1st in the 15/18 years age group also winning the open County Championship title in a Midlands and National Championship Qualifying time. A strong performance also came from Joshua Walker (14) with 6th in the 13/14 age group also in a Midlands Age Group Qualifying time. The first Championship final of the day was the Boy’s 50m Breaststroke, George Brear (18) taking 2nd place. The final event of the morning session was the Boy’s 11/16 year 4 x 50m medley, Joe Evans (16), Joshua Newman (15), Michael Ankrett (16) and Alexander Helliwell finishing 4th.

  The afternoon session started with the Girls 9/10 Medley Team of Olga Hall, Elinor Bird, Seren Mahon and Kathryn Lythgo taking a hard fought and well earned 1st place beating Boldmere Swimming Clubs National Junior League Finalists into 2nd place. The Boys 800m Freestyle saw Joshua Walker (14) and Edward Caswell (13) competing in the 12/14 year age group finishing 5th & 8th respectively, Joe Evans (16) taking age group 1st in the 15/overs in a Midland Championship Qualifying time to claim his second County Championship of the day, successfully defending the title he won last year. In the Girls 800m Freestyle Alice Quinn (12) was the clubs sole representative swimming to 8th place.

  The Boys 100m Backstroke competed for in the two age groups of 12/14 & 15/overs saw two Stratford swimmers in the top 10 in both. In the younger age group, Joshua Walker (14) and Andrew Morley (13) finished 7th & 9th with Joe Evans (16) 5th and Alexander Helliwell (15) 8th in the 15/over age group, Evans qualifying for the Championship final. The Girls 50m Breaststroke saw a very large field competing. In the youngest 9/10 age group there were 140 competing with Elinor Bird (10) taking a fantastic 2nd to match her achievement in the 200m Breaststroke in the first week of competition. Kathryn Lythgo swam to 9th and special mention must go to Charlotte Cox (9) who finished 19th but was top placed 9 year old in this tough dual age group. Other top 10 positions were achieved by Megan Pashley 7th and Sophie Warden 10th in the 13 year age group and Rebecca Tame (16) 6th in the 14/overs.

  William Foster (9) took his third club record of the day, his fifth of the Championships with 2nd in the 9/10 year 200 Fly with Jacob Humphreys (14) a fine 6th in the 12/14 years. The Sharks had a strong entry in the Girls 200m Backstroke, Olga Hall taking a fantastic 1st place and Midlands Age Group Qualifying time in the 9/10 age group, Hannah Willis (10) 6th in this age group. Lucy Castle (12), Ellen Price (12) and Alice Quinn (12) took 4th, 5th & 6th in the 11/12 age group and Megan Pashley 7th in the 13 years age group.

  In the last event of the day for the Sharks, Joe Evans improved his time from the heats to finish 4th in the Championship 100m Backstroke final. With one week to go, Stratford swimmers have amassed the fantastic total of 8 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals with 3 individual Championship titles.