The Warwickshire County Championships held at the City of Coventry 50m pool started this week for the Stratford Sharks swimmers. The Counties which is run over three weeks saw the Sharks sponsored by Sitel get off to a positive start. Each event is decided with Heat Declared Winners with the final heat spearheaded for the 50m & 200m and a final in the 100m sprint events. Distance events are also held at this competition.

  The medal tally was not high on the first week of competition but a very impressive 54 Personal Best times were set. Lawrie Mills in the final heat for the 13/14yrs 200m Backstroke got the first medal of the day in a club record time taking Bronze against stiff competition in a very close fought final. The girls first competitor was Grace Wright who competed in the 400m IM finishing 8th in this gruelling event.

  The girls first medal came from Emma Bysouth who got a Bronze in the girls 11/12yrs 200m Free, Frances Goss also made the final heat for the 9/10yrs getting an impressive 8th place. In the girls 50m Back & 200m Free all the girls from 9-13yrs acheived p.b's showing their training is paying off.

  The afternoon started with the 1500m Free, our only competitor in this marathon event was Lawrie Mills who gained 4th place setting a new Club Record. The girls first event of the afternoon was the 200m Breast the 13/14yrs saw Grace Wright, Fran Cassidy-Morris & Hattie Beaumont all lining up for the final heat getting 3th, 4th & 6th respectively with Fran & Hattie setting p.b's

  Emma White & Claire Bassinder went head to head in the final heat of the 14/Over 200m Breast with Emma finishing 3rd & Claire 4th setting a new Club Record.

  The boys 15/over 50m Free is always a very exciting and very close event it was a triumph for Stratford Sharks with James Wardle finishing 1st in a very impressive final split by less than half a second, David Townsend had an equally exciting final in the 13/14yrs just being pipped by a fingertip to finish 2nd in a new club record.

  The 11yr girls time trial for the 100m Fly saw Emma Bysouth finishing 3rd, Grace Wright was 4th in the 12/12yrs 100m Fly.

  James Wardle and David Townsend finished the day in fine style with another Gold for James & Silver for David in the Boys 100m Fly in their respective age groups John Tanner also made the 13/14yrs final finishing a very close 4th behind David, leaving Stratford Sharks ready to start where they left off looking to increase their medal tally in week 2.

  New Club records were also set by Aaron Brough 9/10yrs 200m Back & 50m Free & Robert Jolly 15yrs 100m Fly, Emma White 14yrs 100m Fly. Personal Bests by Ben Brough, Georgina Mackey, Megan Stanley, Chloe Bird, Lucy & Rebecca Tame, Imogen Cork, Georgina Harrington, Katie Cardwell, Lily Russell-Wilks, Fay Malling, Aaron Robinson, Tom & Jack Pilling, David & Chris Jolly, Lewis Seabright, Ben Lane, Joshua Walker & Josh Fell. Well done to all swimmers.