A group of Reading's top swimmers under head coach Graeme Thomas took advantage of a rare opportunity to tackle a long-course meet reasonably locally at Ealing's 50-metre Gurnell pool.
Small fields left the atmosphere lacking at times and made it hard for swimmers to raise their game, but two in particular did just that as Kristina Paige (14) and Garry Dixon (15) won the elimination freestyle "skins" events.
Swimming four 100m races in quick succession takes stamina and tactical ability as well as good technique. Dixon finished his series with a 56-second effort, and Paige amazingly beat her pre-meet personal best every time - recording 64 seconds in the first heat then 64 again, 63 and 64.
This wasn't Paige's only success as she won her 100 fly in 1.07.23, and she posted a 200 free PB in 2.19.52 close to a "negative split" with the second half of the race as quick as the first.
Louisa Downs, 15, won her age group's 100 fly in 1.07.89, within a whisker of a national qualifying time, and Leona Jones won the top age group's 100 breaststroke in a slow time but with a gutsy effort after a recent injury..
Coach Thomas singled out two excellently paced 400 swims. Dixon was slightly outside his best but followed a 61-second first 100 with three successive 65s. And Callum Willcox added a strong "back end" to an opening 200 of 2.35, stopped the clock in 5.11.80 and improved the PB he set at the recent City of Derby meet in Sheffield.
Breaststroke specialist York Kloeppel has been working hard on his butterfly since a well-deserved promotion to Reading's top squad, and swam a classy PB of 1.05.45 to take a silver over 100 metres.
Frankie Wilkins, 12, was another making a PB in a 100 fly final, swimming 1.17.60 in a big improvement over a 1.21.heat.
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