Reading's youngest swimmers were back in action on Saturday as the 2006 Thames Valley Junior League resumed at Newbury's Northcroft Pool.
Reading were up against it after the opening relays with just two third places to show for the eight medleys, via Barnaby Kempster, David Mills, James Bradley and Joe Statham in the 12s medley and James Babbington, Alex Cawthorne, Alex Bancroft and Ruaridh Sheppard in the nine-and-under "special medley" – a second length of freestyle replacing the butterfly.
Annette Hopson and Kempster, the Evening Post-sponsored squad's individual stars of round one, again showed up well, as did Mills and Georgina Wilkins.
Wilkins, winning the 11s 50 fly in 40.36, and Hopson, via the 12s 50 backstroke in 38.16, produced Reading's two heat wins, also with a second place each in their maximum two individual swims in the 50 breaststroke and fly respectively.
Mills (second in his fly and breaststroke swims) and Kempster (second in the freestyle and back) gave the top boys' performances. Next best were thirds from newcomer Stan Tarnowski (11s fly), Joe Tichband (10s freestyle) and Bradley (12s back and fly). Among the girls, 10-year-old Olivia Paige – whose sister Kristina is one of Reading's top swimmers – also picked up a third spot in her breaststroke swim.
With the club's programme emphasizing technique at this stage of young swimmers' careers, the coaches on duty also singled out for mention 11-year-old Charlotte Watt in the closing legs of both relays in her age group and nine-year-old Ruaridh Sheppard among the boys.
Amersham SC and Maidenhead Marlins dominated into the later stages, but the closing freestyle relays yielded two second spots as both the youngest and oldest Reading boys' quartets improved one place on their medley finishes.
League meets close with an eight-length freestyle relay – a boy and a girl from each age group. Reading placed a solid third via Nadia Staley, Kate Metalli, Wilkins, Hopson, Cawthorne, Tichband, Kempster and Bradley. Hopson's 15.43 just had the edge on Bradley's 15.48 as the quickest leg.
Final scores: 1. Amersham 166. 2. Maidenhead 157. 3. Newbury 121. 4. Reading 100. 5. Chalfont 83.
Reading team:
Julia Domnick, Lucy Douglas, Annette Hopson, Emily Marshall, Jenny Martin, Kate Metalli, Georgia O'Brien, Olivia Paige, Jodie Penny, Bethany Staley, Nadia Staley, Charlotte Watt, Georgina Wilkins, Pippa Woods.
James Babbington, James Bradley, Alex Bancroft, Jack Bodley-Scott, Alex Cawthorne, Niko Ciecierski-Holmes, Lewis Davies, Barnaby Kempster, Jacob Lancashire, David Mills, Oliver Payne, Ruaridh Sheppard, Jodvir Sidhu, Ruaridh Scott, Joe Statham, Stan Tarnowski, Joe Tichband.