Reading swimmers returned from Windsor SC's first ever Level 2 licensed meet in Maidenhead with 20 medals – nine gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze – as well as 19 fourth places and 13 fifths. The meet was a last chance to qualify for the spring Berks and South Bucks championships in the same pool, and most of the Evening Post-sponsored squad either improved existing times or added new events to their counties menu.
Rachael Mills, 12, starred and accounted for over a third of the medal haul.
Mills was in particularly good form in the longer events, winning her 400m freestyle by a big margin in 5:02.87 and both individual medleys - over 200 metres ( 2.48.44) and 400 (5.46.16). A time of 2:25.22 gave a winning margin of more than two seconds over Slough's Alexandra Wiseman in the 200 free and she also took a 200m breaststroke gold in 3.08.19.
For good measure, Mills also picked up a 200 fly silver and bronze in both 100 free and breaststroke in an outstanding weekend.
Reading's most experienced swimmers, Leanne Haas (16) and Amy Thomas (17) – who like Mills can be expected to shine at counties – also brought home gold in the ladies' programme in the 100 fly in 1:10.66 and 1.11.88 respectively. Thomas pipped one of Berkshire's top all-rounders of recent years in the host club's Pam Clement, and Haas also placed second in her 100 free.
Eleanor Cawthorne was another fly medallist, with a bronze in the 12s age group, and went one place better in the 200 back in a swim well inside the county qualifying mark.
Beth Ayerst took the top age group's 400 IM gold as the only entrant, with a silver going to 15-year-old Louise Gillatt and a bronze for Vanessa Wood. Ayerst added two bronze medals via the 100 fly and free.
Annette Hopson, a star in the club's Thames Valley Junior League sprint team, continued her excellent season in the longer distance swims. Hopson placed third in both 200 back and 400 free.
Among the boys, James Bradley (11) had five medals and was never outside the top five. Bradley won the 200 back in 2.53.79 to go with silver in the 100 free and 200 IM and bronze in the 200 fly and free and 100 back.
For the third meet this season, only a few hundredths separated Bradley and david Mills in long races - Bradley had the edge in the 400 free (5.46.61 to 5.46.91) as the pair placed fifth and sixth, while Mills turned the table as he placed fourth in the 200 breaststroke in 3.37.34 to Bradley's fifth in 3.37.80.
Craig Frankum, 16, pulled in two freestyle sprint silvers over 50 and 100 metres, and outside the medals James Tichband was the pick of Reading's boys with two fourths and two fifths.
Coach Harry Wild singled out further county-qualifying swims from Barnaby Kempster and among the girls from Hannah Field, Jennifer Taylor, Ellie Wood, and Georgie Wilkins.
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