Club swimming doesn't get any more exciting than the National Speedo League, but Saturday's Premier South round one meet was exceptional even by league standards.
The Evening Post-sponsored Reading Swimming Club's A squad, coached by Graeme Thomas and David Wittig, had a tall order at Guildford. The home club are current national finalists, while Wycombe and Kingston Royals have finished comfortably ahead of Reading in recent seasons. Rushmoor have been close rivals lately, while Guernsey's Beau Sejour, competing via posted times as they come to the mainland only for the league's final round, were an unknown quantity.
As it turned out, every point was vital. It's common for two teams to vie for one place throughout a league meet, but this time places two to five were all undecided with just a couple of heats left.
Chris Boyce, Callum Willcox and Adam Barrett, "swimming up" for vital points as well as in their own age group, exemplified Reading's spirit on the night.
Barrett (14) summed it up in the last leg of the last race, where against much more powerful older swimmers in the open category he defended a vital relay third place.
Things had looked grim in the early stages, with no place higher than third in the first 13 of the 50 heats.
Holly Tanner posted a respectable third and a PB time in the initial open 100 IM. Thirds also went to the 12/13 girls' medley quartet of Eleanor Cawthorne (in her first A-team swim), Frankie Wilkins, Rachael Mills and Eleanor Wood, the 14/15 freestyle team (Kristina Paige, Zoe Hester, Hannah Field and Naomi Herring) and the open medley foursome (Tanner, Amy Kunicki, Louisa Downs and Paige, "swimming up").
Willcox started to turn things around in heat 14, a strong 100m breaststroke second place, before Zoe Hester collected Reading's first maximum in her age group's 100 back (1.05.60).
Barrett placed second in the boys' equivalent and Reading clawed their way back up the rankings with successive third places from Louisa Downs and Dan John - back from Loughborough University to compete – in the open 100 butterfly, and Georgie Wilkins and Barnaby Kempster in the youngest age group's 50 fly events.
A smooth swim saw Boyce cruise to second in the 12/13 100 back and Chris Ferguson, outstanding throughout the evening with six swims in his own group and the open category, powered to a 100 fly second-place.
Hester was pipped by Wycombe's Anna Jemielity in the open 100 back, and Georgie Wilkins put in another second in the youngest group's 50 breast.
The next swim was one of the most impressive league debuts in years for Reading as Luca Poli, 11, stormed the boys' 50 breaststroke in 40.75. Poli, who has moved to Reading from one of the country's top clubs, Hatfield, is Hertfordshire champion in his year and looks a major asset for his new club.
Three great 100 free swims took Reading into the closing relays in a position that looked unlikely early in the meet. The fiercely competitive Ferguson won his year's 100 free in 55.11 and Rachael Mills looked strong in second place in the 12/13 group.
Holly Tanner had stiff opposition in the open 100 free in the home team's Henrietta Dillon, one of the country's most promising sprinters, and Kingston's outstanding Welsh all-rounder Alys Thomas, and separated the pair in a great PB.
The writing seemed to be on the wall with three sixth spots in the first four relays, although Rachael Mills laid the groundwork for the 12/13 freestyle team with an opening leg of 29.70 and the younger Ellie Wood was also inside half a minute as she powered the team home second.
The final two open freestyle relays have six two-length legs. Kunicki and Paige among the girls and Barrett and Ferguson for the boys both had a rapid turnaround after their age-group medleys.
Tanner gave the girls a great start, Downs, Herring, Hester and Kunicki held the second place and Paige's 28.52, the fastest leg, secured the vital five points.
Outgoing club captain Bruno Bamberger shone in the early stages of the men's relay in 25.21 before Ferguson devoured the water in 24.84 to give Barrett a lead over fourth place which he held to the finish as Reading's support went into overdrive.
Guildford had wrapped up the meet win long before the end, and the final scores gave Reading a share of second place with Rushmoor and a rare margin over Kingston and Wycombe.
Final scores:
1. Guildford 261.
2. Reading 171
2. = Rushmoor 171
4. Kingston 159
5. Wycombe 155
6. Beau Sejour 136
Reading team:
Eleanor Cawthorne, Louisa Downs, Hannah Field, Naomi Herring, Zoe Hester, Amy
Kunicki, Ashley Manners, Jenny Martin, Rachael Mills, Kristina Paige, Beth
Staley, Holly Tanner, Frankie Wilkins, Georgie Wilkins, Ellie Wood.
Bruno Bamberger, Adam Barrett, Chris Boyce, Alex Cawthorne, Niko Ciecierski-Holmes, Garry Dixon, Chris Ferguson, Dan John, Barnaby Kempster, York-Peter Kloeppel, David Mills, Luca Poli, James Tichband, Callum Willcox.