Maidenhead's Magnet Pool hosts the 2007 Berks and South Bucks championships in February and March, so Windsor SC's annual Level 2 open meet at same venue came at an ideal time for Reading swimmers.
As well as recording a number of further county and regional qualifying times, the Evening Post-sponsored Reading squad came home with 23 medals – three gold, nine silver and 11 bronze - and numerous PB times.
First event was the 400 free for boys. Barnaby Kempster, in outstanding form in his previous meet in Swansea, took gold in 5.03.02, qualifying for the Southeast regional championships in the process. James Tichband swam 4.56.83 for bronze in the 13 years group, and 12-year-old David Mills, fighting a heavy cold, placed sixth in 5.27.71.
The girls began with the 100 breaststroke, which brought three more Reading medals. Leanne Haas in the oldest age group took silver in 1.26.38, with bronze to 16-year-old Louise Gillatt and to Ellie Wood - the first of her seven medals in the 12s group.
Daniel Jackson and club captain Craig Frankum just missed medals in the 100 fly in the top age category, fourth and fifth in 1.05.07 and 1.07.98. Mills, back in the water not long after his 400 swim, placed sixth in his year.
Reading girls were again among the medals in the 200 free. Gillatt in one of her favoured events took silver in 2.20.14, and PBs of 2.22.44 and 2.24.07 by El Cawthorne (13) and Wood were good for bronze. Ailith Morrey, Zoe Knott and Zoe Clark all swam PBs.
Session 1 closed with the 200 individual medley. Kempster broke three minutes for the first time, his 2.59.07 one place outside the medals.
Gillatt again medalled in the 400 free, a bronze well inside her entry time in 4.47.35, and Jennifer Taylor, Morrey and Cawthorne all recorded big improvements.
Only Mills tackled the boys' next event, the 100 breaststroke, making a PB in fifth place in 1.35.86.
Next up for the girls was the 100 fly. The ever improving Wood claimed a PB and silver in 1.13.27. Cawthorne, also putting together a good series of swims recently, took a fourth spot in 1.19.44, with Issy Keenan making a five-second PB in their year.
Kempster achieved a regional base qualifying time in his 200 free, bronze in 2.27.68, and Tichband's 2.23.43 PB placed fifth in his year. (over)
A very satisfactory first day for Reading ended with the girls' 200 IM, in which Wood took her second silver in 2.40.15 and Keenan and Cawthorne both also swam PBs.
Sunday
Day 2 began with the shortest race of the meet as Morrey and Clark swam 50m free PBs in 33.65 and 32.31. Kempster carried on where he had left off, with another medal – bronze in the 100 back in 1.21.31.
In the girls' 200 breaststroke Morrey then collected her first medal in any open meet as she claimed the 15s' bronze in an improving time of 3.15.94. Outside the medals, Keenan, Taylor and Clark showed good skills in their heats.
The girls' 100 back again produced a number of PBs. Cawthorne starred with silver in 1.12.90 – a regional base qualifying time – and Wood took bronze in 1.15.70, continued her improvements on all strokes and distances. Keenan and Knott also bettered their previous bests.
Sunday's last session began with the meet's longest event as girls swam the 400 IM Only Wood took on this arduous race, taking gold in a superbly controlled swim in 5.33.89 well inside the Southeast qualifying time.
The busy Kempster broke three minutes for the 200 backstroke, bronze in 2.51.48, just outside the regional mark.
The equally busy Cawthorne tackled the 200 fly and took her age group bronze in 2.56.98. Rachael Mills, too fast beforehand to be able to tackle several of the meet's events, swam an excellent 2.39.02 to claim the 13s' gold.,
Jodhvir Sidhu, in his first ever 200 breaststroke, cut five seconds from his entry time before the meet closed with the 100 freestyles.
Rachael Mills made a Southeast qualifying time of 1.04.26 in taking silver. Wood rounded off her great weekend with another silver medal and Keenan, Cawthorne, Knott, Clark, Taylor and Morrey all swam PBs.
In the boys' event Kempster's silver in regional base time of 1.09.23 capped a very rewarding weekend of swimming.