Press Report on the Essex County Age Group Championship Blocks C & D
Runnymede swimmers were on form and won a hat full of medals and top 6 awards at the last two weekends of the Essex County Championships to bring a successful conclusion to the Age Group competitions for 2005.
Sarah Wright took top honours for the club by winning Gold medals in two events to add to her impressive collection of Championship awards and set a string of new personal best times along the way. Her first Gold came in the 12 year 200m Butterfly race in a new personal best time after a gritty performance in this very tough event. Sarah’s 2nd Gold was won in a very close race in the final of the 100m Backstroke, also taking another personal best. Not content with these achievements, she also took Bronze medals in the 400m Freestyle and 100m Butterfly and added top six placed county awards for 4th in the 200m Freestyle, 100m Individual Medley and a 5th in the 200m Backstroke. Sarah finished in overall 3rd position in the 12 year Girls Championships.
Georgina Hunt finished her Championships in style in the same Girls 12 year age group, taking overall 2nd position just 2 points ahead of Sarah in the standings. Georgie’s best swims of the rounds 3 and 4 produced Championship Silver medals in the 200m and 400m Freestyle for new personal best times. Her performance in the 800m Freestyle was equally impressive, producing a Bronze medal winning time and she added another Bronze for her race in the 100m Individual Medley final. Georgie also picked up 4th position awards for the 100m and 200m Butterfly, and 5th in the final of the 100m Freestyle with Southern Counties qualifying times in all her races.
10-year-old Chloe Davis saved her best swims of the Championships for the last round. She knocked a huge chunk off her personal best time in the 100m Freestyle Heats and Final to take 4th position honours and her first Essex County award. In the 200m Freestyle race Chloe was just edged into 6th position, only a fraction of a second outside the top 3 positions in a very close finish to the event.
In the Girls 13 year age group, Charlotte Delicata achieved her highest placing of the Championship to take the 4th position award in the 200m Backstroke race and set a new personal best for her efforts. However, her most notable swim came in the 400m Individual Medley race, which gained her Southern Counties qualification and a 7th position only just outside of the awards. Samantha Knight saved her best swims for the last round of the Championships and her favoured Breaststroke events. She reached the Final of the 100m Breaststroke and eventually finished in a creditable 6th place.
Alex Delicata was just outside of his personal best time in the boys 11 year 200m Backstroke but still managed to take a good 5th place in the event, and also an 8th position and new personal best in the 100m Backstroke. Some other notable swims which were just outside the top six award positions were by Rebecca Scott for new PB’s in the Girls 14yr 100m (10th) & 200m (8th) Breaststroke, Henry Newton in the Boys 10yr (7th & PB) 100m Backstroke, Laura Humphreys Girls 11yr (9th & PB) 100m Butterfly.
Aaron Eveleigh still managed to finish in overall 5th position in the 15-year Boys County Championship, despite not competing due to injury just before blocks C & D of the event having lead the field after Blocks A & B. The Club finished in overall 11th place for the Championship with their highest points total for many years, and will hope to make it into the top ten next year.
Any competitive swimmers who would like to be a part of the clubs successes should call Head Coach Paul Eveleigh on 01268 759043.
Full Runnymede results for Block C & D: