The Evening Post-sponsored
Reading SC staged its third Allan Eyles Invitation Graded Meet at Central Pool
on Saturday, the long-standing fixture renamed in in 2003 in memory of the
club's late vice-chairman who died three years ago. Large fields from clubs in
the Berks and South Bucks ASA joined the host club and new guests
The girls began with the 100m breaststroke, 13-year-old Grace Waldron Reading's first winner of the meet in 1:35.51, a silver for Louise Tayler-Grint (15) in the top age category and bronze for 14-year-old Rosie Boyt and 11-year-old Emily Taylor. A raft of good PBs included Isobel Keenan and Georgie Wilkins, fourth and fifth 10-and-unders.
The home club won four of the
six age groups in the first boys' event, the 100 freestyle, via James Bradley,
Conor Sandell, Markus Orgill and Daniel Jackson, with the top age category a
particular
The afternoon's girls' freestyle event was over 50 metres, with 11-year-old Natalia Ciecierska-Holmes Reading's top performer with a narrow age group win in 37.26 and Zoe Knott showing up well for a silver in the 13s group.
In the event deciding the best all-rounders, the 100m IM, a number of speeding tickets left Thames Valley Junior League team members Barnaby Kempster and Matthew Alderman at the head of the youngest age group, while Orgill, Ewan Wise and Drew Samimi-Mawby swept the 14s' medals and Lewis Ross and Peter Kirwan finished top two in the oldest group. The boys closed the first half of the programme with the 100 fly, including another win for Ross.
A very tightly contested
girls' 100 free included 15 swimmers in the 13s group, where Slough's Rachel
Ford crossed the line into speeding ticket territory and Reading's Grace Waldron
took her second gold of the day in 1:11.34.
Five boys beat the 30-second
barrier in the top age group's 50m free, with
Waldron won yet another gold
in the IM, taking five seconds off her entry time in 1:21.50, and
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*** A small group from coach Graeme Thomas's top squad tackled the heat of Aldershot Garrison Pool at the annual Berks and South Bucks "No Frills" meet, where no medals are awarded and swimmers compete only to improve their times.
Ten members of Reading's Masters section - Nigel Salsbury, Dave Stannard, Iain Gerrard, Catrin Basham, Karl Buchlotz, Kevin Chetwynd, Mark Barlow, Carole Eyles, Carolyn Fox and Lucy Roper - competed in Swansea in the Welsh Open and delighted coach Gordon Carmichael with no fewer than 44 medals in the various senior age categories - 23 golds, 15 silvers (including two relays) and six bronze.
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