Swimming Away with the Trophies

4 of Pershore Swimming Club's youngsters competed over two days at Boldmere Swimming Club's exciting dual Level 2/3 meet in Birmingham and returned with trophies galore in their hands. Ten-year-old Tyler Mclean, from Charlton, and the Jones brothers - Drew (10) and Angus (13) - from Eckington, were joined for one event by Alison Seward. During the first day Mclean recorded five personal bests (PBs) together with two first placings with 1:33.35 and 3:19.54 in the 100m and 200m breaststroke. Mclean also won two second placed trophies in the 100m freestyle (1:20.68) and 100m backstroke (1:32.75) and recorded PBs in the 200m Individual Medley (IM) with 3:05.94 and 50m backstroke with 43.34. Seward swam to a superb PB of 2.53.11 in the 200m backstroke in the intermediate girls' division. Angus Jones set three new PBs in the 100m freestyle (1.15.68), 50m backstroke (39.04) with second placed trophy and 100m backstroke (1:24.68). His brother Drew recorded five PBs from his six events with 1:38.29 in the 100m backstroke, 1:17.75 in the 100m freestyle, 3:07.89 in the 200m IM, 3:31.30 in the 200m breaststroke and a first placed trophy and a fine new PB of 1:30.54 in the 100m backstroke. Once again the 12 PBs from the second day told their own story as Angus Jones set his first one in the 400m freestyle in swimming to a third placed trophy with 5:37.43, whilst brother Drew also collected a second placed trophy with 5:43.71. Angus swam to his second PB in the 200m freestyle with 2:42.50 and Drew swam PBs in the 50m fly (43.06), collecting another second placed trophy, 50m breaststroke (46.37), 200m freestyle (2:45.57) and the 100m fly (1:41.66). On the second day of the meet the above were joined by Tazmin Pugh (10) and Harry Sykes (12), fresh from their victorious and record-breaking National ISA Championships the day before. Straight away Sykes collected a great second place trophy in the difficult Level 2 intermediate division, recording 38.60 in the 50m breaststroke, with another PB coming his way in the 200m freestyle with 2:34.04. Pugh, competing in the higher Level 2 junior girls division (9/10-year-olds), set three new PBs in the 100m breaststroke with 1:35.53 to take third place, the 200m fly in 3.02.00 and first placed trophy and, in her final swim and best performance of the day in the 100m backstroke, recorded 1:18.39 for another first placed trophy which clocked up another Midlands Championships Qualifying time for next July. This time also pushes Tazmin back up into first place in the UK for the end of year rankings, as too did her times on the Saturday for the 50m backstroke (36.47) and 50m fly at Coventry's long course National Championships. Pugh's other trophies came from her first place in the 200m fly and two second placings in the 200m IM and 50m backstroke. It was a weekend to remember for one of Pershore's most successful sports clubs with two National School ISA champions and National records, together with trophies for the ISA's 'two most outstanding swimmers' and 17 trophies from five of its members swimming in the Boldmere Open Meet.