Reading "B" swam the final round of the Speedo League at Waterlooville. Like the A team, they were in the mid-table group of an 18-team league after two rounds, facing Farnham, Bognor, West Wight, Chichester and Wey Valley in Division 2 West.
Illness and late withdrawals meant that Reading again fielded a weakened team, meaning several younger swimmers had to swim up in age groups. Great credit for this goes to Freya Barton-Hogan, Jason Passmore, George Kristiaan, Matthew Alderman and Joe Statham. Added to a very strict referee and what looked like several harsh judging decisions, it all made for a hard contest.
Wins were hard to come by, the first from Russel Korting in heat 2, the open individual medley (1.05.81), the next not until 12 heats later when Passmore – a major contributor to the team all season – took the U/14 100m breaststroke in a good time of 1.23.01.
Vanessa Wood recorded the only win for the girls, taking the U/16 100 freestyle in 1.07.43.
Several university-based swimmers who always make an effort to turn out were in excellent form in the open category. David Thomas won the 100 back in 1.08.02, Daniel John the fly event in an outstanding 1.01.24 and Rob Knott demonstrating his freestyle skills to win in 57.48 seconds.
As in the A team meet, the evening's last race saw Reading outclass the field in the six-leg men's freestyle relay, the team made up of Kristian Statham, Bruno Bamberger, John, Craig Frankum, Korting and Knott.
Valuable points for second places came via U/14s Jennifer Taylor (backstroke in 1.22.65) and Natalia Ciercierska-Holmes (freestyle in 1.09.48).
Relay teams doing the same were the U/14 boys' medley of Alderman, Passmore, Kristiaan and Joe Statham and the U/16 girls, Wood, Zoe Knott, Zoe Clark and Becki Turner.
Thirds came via Kristiaan and captain Louisa Herring in their 100 back swims, Zoe Clark in a 1.29.72 100m breaststroke PB and Passmore's second outing in the event, swimming up an age group in 1.23.23.
Two medley relay teams were in the points for thirds, the U/16 girls Knott, Clark, Wood and Turner, plus Thomas, Bamberger, Dan Jackson and Kristian Statham in the open category.
Final Result
1. Farnham 212 points
2. Bognor Regis 198
3. West Wight 173
4. Chichester 169
5. Reading B 41
6. Wey Valley 141
Reading team:
Francesca Alsina-Reynolds, Freya Barton-Hogan, Alex Bell, Natalia-Ciecierska
Holmes, Zoe Clark, Louise Gillatt, Leanne Haas, Louisa Herring, Alice Hopkins,
Zoe Knott, Sarah Manners, Jenny Taylor, Becki Turner, Vanessa Wood.
Matthew Alderman, Bruno Bamberger, Craig Frankum, Dan Jackson, Dan John, Sam Kemp, Rob Knott, Russel Korting, George Kristiaan, Harry Nash, Jason Passmore, Ruaridh Shepherd, Jodhvir Sidhu, Joe Statham, Kristian Statham, David Thomas.