Success at Windsor Open Meet 2011

"Just coming back from the Windsor Meet and possibly the best set of group results for ages. Not the usual same kids doing the same swims, same results but a huge general effort from everyone.

All its taken is for swimmers to get up and race, to trust what they've been asked to do and to trust in their ability. I'm not going to single anyone out as it wouldn't be fair to the others.

Myself and Harry have thoroughly enjoyed a great weekend of swimming with several new County times, several improved County times and also a couple of swimmers who are within a second or so of their first Southern County times.

All I hope for now is for other swimmers to follow the example set by this weekends swimmers and aim higher than they've done before.

Thanks to the members of the club who helped at the meet and the parents for their support and to Harry for his ever-present enthusiasm.

Thanks"

Tony Woodward, RSC Headcoach

Full Report

“One of the best group performances for a long time” was how last weekend’s Windsor Meet Open results were described by Reading Swimming Club’s Head Coach, Tony Woodward.

Some very promising performances came from the annual trip to County neighbours, Windsor Swimming Club in the first meet of 2011 for the Level 2 swimmers in a competition aimed at National and Regional qualifying times. It was also the last chance for Berk and South Bucks swimmers to get their qualifying times for the County Championships and this was the main aim for the Reading contingent for this meet. The swimmers were certainly in the right frame of mind after instructions from Coaches Woodward and Harry Wild, for the swimmers to trust their training programme and trust themselves.

The action and rewards started from the outset with Jazz Wills in the first heat of the meet in the 400 Fs and a good PB to start with. Imogen McCalman was in the second heat and she too provided a good swim for a big PB. Girls 100 Fly produced more good times for Eva Hamrud and Georgia Doran, whilst the two Jenny’s (Martin and Taylor) swam well but just off best times.

With a disappointing turn-out in the boys overall, Tads Ciecierski-Holmes managed a good PB in the 200 Fs to earn him an evening off!! Back to the girls and the 200 IM produced more good swims for Wills and McCalman. Katie Boyce, fresh back from a broken arm hit 6 second improvement on her entry time, whilst Ellie Fields was just off her best. Taylor and Imogen Brown all hit times on par with their current PB’s but Georgia Doran and Lucy Douglas (both 2.51) managed good PB’s with Douglas getting her first County time in the process.

In Session Two, Alex ‘Dougie’ Douglas swam his 400 Fs the same way her did in the same event at the Bath Long Course Meet in December. Attacking it from the start with times close to 100 and 200 PB, he powered on for an impressive 4.50. All the girls in the 100 Brst managed to be within 1-2 seconds of their best but none showed improvements on entry times. Dougie was back in the pool for his 100 Fly swim in an event that he needed to do well in and once again he didn’t disappoint.

The girls 200 Fs produced a gaggle of improvements on their entry times, Wills, McCalman and Lucy Douglas hitting the biggest PB’s. In the final event of the day, young Alex Bakker-Noguer made an impressive 13 second PB (2.53) on his entry time as reward for his recent hard work in training before Dougie Douglas saw the day out with 2.44.

If Day One was good, both swimmers and coaches were hungry for more and Day Two started with McCalman swimming her 200 Bk to within 1.3 seconds of her first South East Regional qualifying time and Boyce followed up just a second behind and she promises some good times once back to full fitness. Club Squad swimmer, Joanna Wakefield swam well in her race and despite missing her PB by a little, she should be encouraged by her swim after her recent poor run of luck with injuries to her shoulder and knee. Her performance was also a tad better than her father’s current football team too!! Dougie was back in fine form to record another best time in the gruelling 400 IM before Sian Fields, Doran, Martin and Wakefield came in for a race at the other end of the scale, the 50 Fs.

Bakker-Noguer improved his time from the recent Basingstoke meet by a further 2 seconds in the 100 Bk with 1.20 and Ciecierski-Holmes also bettered his entry time. Dougie just missed his best time in the same event.

Wills (3.41), Boycie (3.16) and Ellie ‘LEF’ Fields all managed better times in their 200 Brst whilst Martin also swam well in the same race and then McCalman, Boycie, Hamrud and Doran all recorded PB’s in the 100 Bk whilst the Fields sisters and ‘Chelsea’ Wakefield were just off their best. One of the best Reading swims of the meet so far came from Lucy Douglas whose PB of 1.21 and County entry time of 1.19.5 were smashed with 1.16.74. Dougie Douglas produced another great swim in the 200 Fly with an 11-second PB with 2.42 to finish Session Three.

The final session started with the girls turn at the 400 IM and Boycie hit a great PB and was followed by Reading’s top female swimmer, Ellie Wood, who came after her long shift at work to record a time just off her best but still a good indicator to what she can still do. Ciecierski-Holmes recorded an 8-second PB in the 200 Bk and then the girls came in for the 200 Fly. McCalman made a good PB of 3.06, Wills 3.37 and County time and Wood in 2.28. Ciecierski-Holmes (3.21) and Bakker-Nogeur (3.15) both had good 200 Brst before the ‘Blue Ribbon’ event of the 100 Fs.

Once again all the swimmers were gathered for a little team talk and were told to finish off a great weekend in style and they did not disappoint either. Maddie Bell swam small PB to just beat her sister, McCalman went 2 seconds better than her entry, Lucy Douglas produced another brilliant swim for 1.08 (she was doing 1.14 at beginning of season), Hamrud 1.06 (1.15 at beginning of season) and Boycie also broke the 1.10 barrier . Doran hit 1.10 for another best time whilst Ellie Fields, Sian Fields, Martin and Wood all just missed their times. Final two swims of a very successful meet came from Bakker-Noguer and Ciecierski-Holmes with 1.10 and 1.07 respectively.

Coaches Woodward and Wild both agree that this has been a great weekend’s work by the swimmers and a thoroughly enjoyable one for themselves. “I’ve now enjoyed two great weekends with this following last week’s Thames Valley Junior League success” said Wild.

Woodward added “It’s all about these youngsters getting up and racing, really racing. Believing in our programme and more importantly, believing in their own ability. The Thames Valley Junior League proved a great result for the younger swimmers and this has shown the middle part of the club is continuing in the process of improving. The higher end has been ‘sketchy’ for several years with swimmers believing more than doing but now we are believing AND doing the job”.

Many thanks to the parents who helped on poolside with officiating and of course their support from the balcony. Also HUGE thanks to Jayne Fields for her role in Team Manager and for her late night work in sending off our County entries.

Our next meet will be TVJL Round two at Newbury where another third place should see the club in its first ‘A’ Final for donkey’s years and then Wycombe which will be a bigger challenge in the notoriously slow long course pool. Some swimmers also have the Cyprus Camp to look forward to during February half term.