Stratford Sharks have started their 2010 campaign in the first leg of the Nuneaton & District Swimming League. This competition is for swimmers aged 9 to 12 and this year the Sharks are again competing in Division 1. In this first round the club was drawn at Halesowen, With the young Sharks competing fantastically against some extremely tough opposition they amassed 10 first, 8 second and 7 third places from 51 events with numerous personal bests throughout the team. In the first five events the club got off to a fantastic start with 24 points from a possible 30 courtesy of Kathryn Lythgo 3rd in the Girls 10yrs Freestyle, Charlotte Clements 3rd in the Girls 9yrs Breaststroke, 1st places for William Foster and Owen Lawton in the 10yrs Freestyle and 9yrs Breaststroke with the Girls 11yrs Medley Team of Chloe Hale, Elinor Bird, Seren Mahon and Hannah Willis finishing 2nd.

  Kathryn Lythgo started another good run of results in race 9 with 1st place in the Girls 10yrs Breaststroke, in race 11 the Girls 9yrs Medley Relay Team of Zoe Ford, Charlotte Clements, Isabelle Callaghan and Mai Castle also taking 1st, the 9yr old boys of Luke Street, Owen Lawton, Robin Hughes and Dominic Furey 2nd in their Medley Relay and the 11yr Girls Freestyle Relay team, Chloe Hale, Annie Cox, Seren Mahon and Hannah Willis took 3rd. More good results were delivered by the Girls and Boys 10yr Medley Relay teams with the Girls team of Ysabelle Caswell, Lucy Griffiths, Elka Hair and Kathryn Lythgo 1st with the Boys of Robin Hughes, Owen Lawton, William Foster and Reuben Ledger 3rd.

  Chloe Hale took a fine 3rd place in a new personal best time in the 11yr Backstroke with Christian Clements one place better for 2nd in the Boys equivalent event. After taking 1st place in the Medley Relay, the Girls 9yr old team of Imogen Caswell, Zoe Ford, Mai Castle and Isabelle Caswell scored more big points with 2nd place in the Freestyle Relay with the 9yr old Boys of Robin Hughes, Luke Street, Owen Lawton and Dominic Furey taking 3rd in their event. In the Girls 11yr Fly, Seren Mahon secured another personal best for 3rd place, with Isabelle Callaghan also taking a personal best with a 1st place in the 9yr old with Robin Hughes 3rd in the Boys 9yr old with a new personal best.

  Further personal bests were delivered in races 35 to 37 from Ysabelle Caswell in the 10yr Backstroke with Robin Hughes and Zoe Ford in the 9yr Freestyle events, all three securing 2nd places. Another best time and 2nd place was achieved by Annie Cox in the Girls 11yr Breaststroke before a run of three 1st places were delivered courtesy of Elka Hair and William Foster in the 10yr Fly with Zoe Ford taking the 9yr Backstroke.

  The final event of the night, the 8 x 1 length Freestyle relay with a Boy and Girl from each age group is always a fantastically noisy event and the one every team wants to win. The young Sharks team of Zoe Ford, Robin Hughes, Kathryn Lythgo, William Foster, Seren Mahon, Chris Clements, Molly Wright & Josh Martindale did not disappoint coming home in first place. After a hard nights competition, Stratford Sharks finished in a comfortable 4th place and looking forward to the next League meeting in a few weeks time.