By Rob Knott
A small group of mainly younger swimmers from the Evening Post-sponsored Reading Swimming Club travelled to Waterlooville over the weekend to compete in big fields in the Peter Bull Age Group Meet. Top overall performances came from Vanessa Wood, Georgie Wilkins and Barnaby Kempster; Vanessa coming 2nd overall in the 14 years Top Girl competition, Georgie 3rd in the 10s and Barnaby 5th among the boys' in the same year.
Ellie Wood kicked the meet into action, leading her heat from the outset to secure a new personal best and a county qualifying time in the 200m freestyle. In a closely contested age group, Georgie Wilkins also swam a 20-second PB taking 6th place in her year.
Wilkins won the bronze in her next event, the 50m breaststroke, in 48.99. Isabelle Keenan went one better, taking the silver also in a county qualifying time in the field of 25, and Ellie Wood placed 9th in the 11s age group.
Age Group Squad swimmer James Tichband was Reading's first boy in the water, with a county-qualifying 200m backstroke in 2.57.08.
The two most senior swimmers in the team, Grace Waldron and Vanessa Wood, finished off the morning session with the 50m butterfly, and finished 2nd and 3rd in their year in 35.77 and 36.47 respectively.
Saturday afternoon saw Wilkins take up where she had left off - setting a new meet record in her 200m breaststroke, a 20-second PB and another county time.
Not to be outdone, the older girls all performed well in the 100m individual medley, with Beth Sturgess recording a 10-second PB and Vanessa Wood and Waldron again 2nd and 3rd – Wood getting the touch by 0.01.
In the boys' event, Tichband and George Feast both performed PBs in 1.26.60 and 1.37.27 respectively.
Next up for the younger girls was the blue riband event, the 50m freestyle. Wilkins, Keenan and Ellie Wood all performed close to or slight PB’s coming 19th, 20th and 10th in the biggest field of the day.
Waldron was top 50m back performer and won the 14s age group with a well paced county time of 35.63. Sturgess also swam a PB in 43.63, with a particularly good start..
Tichband was one of only 18 boys across all years tackling the 200m butterfly, and finished the day with a bang with a seven-second PB of 3.24.04 - which means he will get to do it all again at the Berks & South Bucks Championships in March.
Sunday began where Saturday left off with excellent swims from two of the youngest swimmers, Wilkins and Barnaby Kempster, in the 200m backstroke. Both secured PBs and county times with Kempster particularly impressive as he almost lapped another swimmer in his heat.
Rebecca Lowe placed sixth 13-year-old in the 200m free, while Hailey O’Brien also made her Waterlooville debut in the same event in 15th place.
Vanessa Wood’s best swim of the day came in the 200m free, winning her age group after a gutsy race fighting all the way with swimmers from Bournemouth Dolphins and Winchester Penguins.
In the shortest butterfly event Ellie Wood capitalised on her quick start to finish in 41.38, Isabelle Keenan chased her back on the second 25 but could not quite catch up and finished in 43.11. In the boys event Kempster finished 5th after leading his heat with a PB of 45.95.
In the girls' most successful events of the day Lowe put in two great swims, leading from beginning to end in both the 50m and 200m breaststroke, stopping the clock in 41.56 and 3.05.88 respectively. O’Brien also achieved her first county time of the season in the 200m breaststroke and a new PB in the shorter swim. Waldron and Vanessa Wood placed 4th and 6th in the 50, with Wood winning their age group in the 200 thanks to a fast first 100 metres.
The final session started with the youngest age groups' 100 IM. This time Keenan was able to turn the tables on Ellie Wood, just pipping her at the finish thanks to a good breaststroke leg. Wilkins was again well placed, 5th in her year. In the boys' event, the fast-starting Kempster took the silver..
The weekend finished with more fast-paced 50m events. First on the bill was the 9-11 years backstroke. Keenan rocketed down the first length to finish a respectable 6th, with EllieWood in 14th. Wilkins was also 14th in the age group below.
Fellow Speedo League A Team member Barnaby Kempster swam a PB of 44.81 with a particularly fast turn at 25 metres helping him on his way.
The last event of the day was the 50m free for the oldest girls. Lowe, O’Brien and Sturgess all put in excellent swims but were left standing by Grace Waldron’s final swim of the meet. The Top District Swimmer flew down the first length to establish an unbeatable lead before stopping the clock in a new meet record of 31.72.