The 2006 Reading Swimming Club championships began as usual at Central Pool with two evening sessions of long-distance freestyle, a chance for established seniors at the top of the coaching programme to test their early-season form and for younger entrants to have their first outings over 800 or 1500 metres – several tackling both.
For girls, the 1500 ran as one competition across all age groups. Holly Tanner dominated from the blocks and finished in a PB of 17.50.11, with new club captain Louisa Herring second in 18.06.00. Rachael Mills (13) was third overall and fastest among the younger swimmers in 18.25.29. Frankie Wilkins and Louise Gillatt completed the top five.
Eleanor Cawthorne (13) was the pick of eight girls tackling the distance for the first time, in 20.49.28. Ellie Wood (12), Zoe Knott (14) and Georgie Wilkins (11) were fastest in their years.
Each year group in the boys' competition was won by a convincing margin. Barnaby Kempster was a full four minutes ahead of his 2005 time in taking the 11s gold in 21.50.54, ahead of Sam Kemp, and David Mills (21.38.41) had a similar margin over the less experienced Matthew Alderman.
Chris Boyce beat his previous best by 19 seconds to win the 13s' gold in 18.25.73, and James Tichband almost duplicated his entry time in second place – three one-hundredths out in 20.58.63. Jason Passmore took the bronze well over three minutes faster than his 2005 time.
Adam Barrett's 17.20.75 was probably the best swim in the programme as he tracked national champion Garry Dixon and never let him get too far ahead. Conor Sandell's strong 19.44.06 in an outside lane took the 14s silver in a big PB.
Dixon's 17.03.03 was well outside his best but a comfortable win in the top age group, where breaststroke specialist York Kloeppel swam an excellent 17.46.67 in his first outing over the distance. Alex Macarthur cruised the 15s group in 18.23.43.
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Boys swam the 800 as a single event, Dixon coasting home in 8.40.17 and Kloeppel repeating his excellent 1500 form with a 28-second PB in second place. Boyce was 25 seconds faster than his previous best to take the bronze, with Callum Willcox also showing well and second fastest 13-year-old.
Kemp and Alderman featured in a great race-within-a-race in their heat, the younger boy's 12.50.71 taking it by one second as they placed eighth and ninth overall.
Louisa Downs was close to a PB in winning the girls' top age group in 9.14.72. Herring took the silver and Gillatt PBd for bronze.
Zoe Hester (15) swims the distance only occasionally and had the edge on Naomi Herring and Vanessa Wood in their year, although both the minor medallists swam good PBs.
Rachael Mills put in one of the evening's best efforts as in typical style she attacked her heat from the start to take the 13s gold in 9.35 ahead of Frankie Wilkins. The bronze was tightly contested, Jenny Taylor just edging out Natalia Ciecierska-Holmes and Zoe Clark, who produced a very strong swim to win the opening heat.
Zoe Knott won the 14s group in 11.18.75, Ailith Morrey second there and Beth Sturgess third.
Ellie Wood, a sprint star for the club's Speedo League team this season, showed she can also tackle longer events by recording a 16-second PB to win the 12s group from Izzy Keenan and Alice Hopkins. Georgie Wilkins, the only entrant in the youngest age group, beat her entry time by two seconds in 11.23.98.