Pool youngsters show paces (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Pool youngsters show paces

A SMALL group of girls from Stratford Sharks, sponsored by Sitel, headed south on the motorway last weekend to compete in the Maxwell Open Level 1 meet in Aylesbury.

The event attracted top British swimmers trying to achieve qualifying times for Midland, National and European Championships and was a great experience for the youngsters.

The day started well with Rebecca Tame winning the ten-year 200m breaststroke event. Frances Goss then joined her clubmate in qualifying to take part in the 100m freestyle and both put in a gutsy performance to take fifth and sixth places respectively with both girls clocking personal best times.

Tame continued her excellent performance with further wins in the 200m backstroke and 100m breaststroke, while also adding a third place finish in the 200m freestyle.

Emma Bysouth is continuing to improve and was just short of getting her National qualifying times.

Her best position was a fourth place in the 50m freestyle in the combined 11/12-year age group but she recorded pbs in the 100, 200 and 400m freestyle events.

Emma White once again showed her form starting the day with a third place in the 13/14-year 200m breaststroke.

She followed up with a personal best in the 100m free before improving her pb to set a new club record in the 50m butterfly when Charli Cassidy-Morris also raced to a new best time.

White finished her day with a superb performance behind experienced British swimmers to take second place in the 14-year 100m breaststroke.

Fay Malling and Fran Cassidy-Morris also competed in the same event and finished eighth and ninth respectively.

Clare Bassinder, at 15, was the oldest of the Stratford swimmers to compete on Saturday in the 15/16-year age group when once again she showed good form in setting three club records in the 50m butterfly, 100m breaststroke and 50m freestyle - an event in which she headed a first-class field.