At the other end of the spectrum in this very inclusive sport, a group from Reading's top squad were out to qualify for regional and national championships later in the season at Crawley's state-of-the-art K2 Olympic-length pool, which looks like putting the Sussex town in pole position as a regional long-course centre.
The unusual Saturday evening programme – with the last heat still in the water past 10.30 p.m. – featured only single-length 50-metre sprints and the sport's two longest indoor events, freestyles over 800 and 1500 metres. Swimmers targeted times only, with no medals or placings.
Highlights included Rachael Mills (13) and Louisa Herring (18) in the 1500 and Holly Tanner (17) in the 800.
Mills needed to crack 18.29.80 to qualify for the summer's national youth championships in Sheffield for the second time and made it by exactly half a second.
The luxury of such early qualification increases her scope for adding further "NQTs" at upcoming meets as she won't need to tackle this most gruelling event again before the deadline.
Tanner, who will be competing at nationals for the seventh consecutive year in her last season as a youth swimmer, needed to beat 9.27.17 and cruised home in 9.24.36.
Ladies' captain Louisa Herring secured a comfortable Southeast regional time in the 1500. "Reg" recorded 18.26.55 - with the 18.27 qualifying time set for swims in much less demanding 25-metre pools.
Georgie Wilkins cut her entry time of 11.24 for the 800 to 11.08.32, with older sister Frankie and Louise Gillatt just either side of 10 minutes.
Two Reading boys swam the 1500. Chris Boyce edged Callum Willcox 18.39.74 to 18.48.16, but with Willcox 10 seconds inside entry as he reeled off a particularly well paced series of 100-metre splits.
Among the sprinters York Kloeppel was narrowly outside entry in the 50 breaststroke and free. Kristina Paige - with a 100 fly national time under her belt at Swansea the previous weekend - put in her best swim in the 50 fly, entering on 30.87 and cutting it to 30.42, well inside the regional qualifying mark.