The Evening Post-sponsored Reading Swimming Club limped into the mid-table gala of the Speedo League Premier Division South at Haslemere seriously weakened by injury and illness, but despite bringing up the rear in the six-team meet several swims by individuals and relay teams stood out.
Youngsters Katie Hawkins, with a 100m breaststroke win in 1.23.81 in the under-14 group, and Annette Hopson, runner-up in the under-12 50m backstroke in 38.02, secured valuable early points, as did Kristina Paige via second place in the under-16 100m fly.
Two older mainstays of the team, Louisa Downs and Leona Jones, swam excellent second spots in the under-16 100 free and open category 100 breaststroke respectively, with Downs also "swimming up" in the open 100 free and twice going under 1.02.
Jones also placed third in the open 100 individual medley which kicked the meet off, and Downs "swam up" in the open fly as well. Both featured in Reading's top girls' relay performance of the night, joined by Holly Tanner and Emma Zadrozny for a second place in the open medley team event.
Downs, swimming a sapping seven events across the evening, also helped secure relay third places for both teams in her own age group, where she was joined by Paige, Amy Kunicki and Naomi Herring, and another in the open six-leg freestyle along with Zadrozny, Herring, Jones, Kunicki and Paige.
The male team missed Matt Sandell and included Garry Dixon, hampered by a broken finger, and Russ Korting, short of training after illness. Head coach Graeme Thomas singled out York Kloeppel's under-16 100m breaststroke second place in 1.10.75 for particular praise, while Chris Boyce also picked up a second in the under-14 100 back in his 1.11.00.
Alex Macarthur, Adam Barrett and Alex Perrin picked up 12 valuable points from three third places via the under-16 100 fly, under-14 100 fly and open 100 breaststroke respectively.
Kloeppel and Dixon both featured in the top relay swims, with Craig Frankum and Alex Macarthur completing the team for two second places in their age group.
The result means Reading finish 12th overall in the 18-team division, which was won by Guildford City, with Leatherhead going into the national B final.
Final scores
Reading team:
Louisa Downs, Katie Hawkins, Naomi Herring, Annette Hopson, Ashley James, Leona Jones, Isabelle Keenan, Amy Kunicki, Rachael Mills, Naomi Herring, Kristina Paige, Holly Tanner, Frankie Wilkins, Georgie Wilkins, Eleanor Wood, Emma Zadrozny.
Matthew Alderman, Bruno Bamberger, Adam Barrett, Chris Boyce, James Bradley, Garry Dixon, Craig Frankum, Barnaby Kempster, York Kloeppel, Rob Knott, Russel Korting, Alex Macarthur, David Mills, Alex Perrin, Callum Willcox
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