Newbury Meet
by Harry Wild

The Reading Evening Post-sponsored Reading Swimming Club competed in the highly popular Newbury Open Meet in the 25 metre pool at the Northcroft leisure centre. In this competition, 10 and under year olds swim in 50 metre events plus 100 individual Medley. All other age groups swim 100 metre events and a 200 IM.

10 and under age group

Georgina Wilkins swam in all events, recording PBs in every race, the first being the IM in which she recorded a time 1.39.06. Breaststroke was the next and in the final she gained fifth spot in 50.44. A time of 42.05 in the freestyle was followed by another 5th place, this time in the backstroke for a time of 47.07. The butterfly was a straight final and she recorded a time of 48.66 for her 3rd place.

The only boy in this age group from Reading was Barnaby Kempster who swam in the back and free events, making finals for both. He was fourth in the backstroke in a time of 44.41 and took the silver medal in the free in a time of 36.10. Both finals were faster than his heat times, something that top swimmers always aim to do. Both Georgina and Barnaby showed good technique and promise for the future.

Backstroke started the competition for this age group with Katie Hawkins swimming a 13 second PB and making the final, only to go faster still and receive a speeding ticket for a time of 1.18.59. Eleanor Cawthorne also made the final and took bronze n 1.24.87. The boys' event saw James Tichband and Callum Willcox swimming strongly to make the final. Tichband took the gold in 1.23.86 and Willcox the silver in 1.24.18.

Wilkins swam one of the best races of the meet in the free with a time of 1.09.61, earning her a speeding ticket. Hawkins swam another PB and made the final. As with the backstroke, she went faster and received a second speeding ticket by 0.08 of a second.

Tichband and Willcox again made the final, with silver in 1.11.79 and bronze in 1.12.47 respectively. The 200 IM saw great swims from Wilkins and Willcox, both receiving speeding tickets in times of 2.43.63 and 2.49.53. Hawkins and Tichband both received gold for their efforts in times of 2.53.91 and 3.05.51. James Bradley was fourth in 3.15.04.

The next event was the breaststroke. Hawkins took her third speeding ticket with a superb time of 1.28.88. A 12 second PB from Frankie Wilkins secured her a place in the final, joined by Hailey O'Brien and Zoë Clark. Frankie took gold in 1.31.61, Hailey fourth in 1.36.46 and Eleanor Cawthorne 6th in 1.47.96. Eleanor swam in Zoë's place, who recorded a time of 1.42.91 in the heat.

Callum Willcox swimming his best stroke, breaststroke, broke the meet record in the heat, only to smash it in the final in a time of 1.27.62 and receive a speeding ticket.

Three girls made it into the fly final, with Wilkins taking bronze in 1.22.13, Hawkins fourth in 1.30.09 and Cawthorne for sixth spot in 1.37.04. For the boys, Willcox swam a strong race for a silver in 1.23.49, James Bradley in 5th with a time of 1.35.66.

Freestyle was the first event in this age group, with Ashley James getting a speeding ticket for a time of 1.05.30 and Markus Orgill taking a silver in 1.06.68.

The 200 IM followed, with a gold for James in 2.42.70. Lisa O'Brien took sixth spot; Rebecca Lowe recorded a 19 second PB in 3.05.43 and Orgill easily took the gold in 2.43.04 – a full 10 seconds ahead of second place. As in the medley, Orgill took the other swimmers apart with a winning margin of 8 seconds in 1.14.63 in the 100m fly, while O'Brien took bronze in 1.20.22 and James placed fifth. In the backstroke, James and Grace Waldron made the final, with James getting a speeding ticket in 1.13.88 and Waldron a silver in 1.17.31. Two girls made the breaststroke final – Hannah Field placing fourth (1.28.47) and James sixth, while among the boys Orgill rounded off his good day with a bronze in 1.28.69.

Three Reading girls made the 100m butterfly final, where Amy Thomas swam a well-controlled PB of 1.11.83 to win the silver and Hannah Lamb collected the bronze, with Beth Ayerst placing sixth. Daniel Jackson claimed the boys' silver with 1.08.25. Thomas followed this with a silver in the backstroke (1.16.00) with Rheannon Sandell placing fifth. Fast times in the freestyle saw Thomas get a speeding ticket this time for her 1.04.66, with Louise Gillat taking the silver in 1.06.73 and Beth Ayerst sixth in 1.97.37.

Ayerst was soon in the water again in the 200m IM, taking fourth place in 2.42.46, while Jackson, the only boy to compete, placed sixth. The last event in this age group was the 100m breaststroke, and again Reading swimmers took three places in the final. Charlotte Thompson won the gold in 1.23.76, Ayerst the bronze in 1.28.37 and Sandell sixth in 1.29.93.

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