Rotherham Metro A/B Summer Meet at Ponds Forge was our chosen end of season meet again this year (except for those competing at the forthcoming Nationals) and what a fantastic weekend to end the year!  From the youngest swimmers to the oldest, every competitor proved that what you give in training you gain in performances at target galas like these.  All the swimmers did themselves and their coaches proud, but especially those who have maturely - and clearly successfully - balanced their swim training with studying for exams.

It is hard to choose a stand-out performance as everyone really deserves a mention, so here’s the long summary!

Aidan F – 5/5 PBs and 4 medals, including 2 A grade Golds

Aiden S – 3 PBs, including his first two Yorkshire qualifying times (50 Fly & 100 Back)

Alex M – 8/8 fantastic PBs, including 3 new Yoks QTs, and a medal of each colour

Alex T – 2 PBs despite not feeling 100% and pulling out of the afternoon’s races

Amy – 7/7 PBs, including a huge improvement in 400m IM, and 4 medals (2 at A grade)

Ben P – probably our most successful competitor, coming away with 9/9 PB swims, a new Yorks QT (100m Free) and 7 medals!

Callum – 7/8 PBs, including another superb 400m IM improvement, and 2 A grade Silver medals

Cormac – 5 PBs and 3 medals

Eleanor – 3 PBs, including a huge improvement in 400m IM, and 2 A grade Silver medals

Ellie – 6 PBs, including the “most improved swim” (45 seconds quicker in 400m IM!), and 3 medals

Freddie – 5/6 PBs, a new Yorks QT in 100m Free, and an A grade medal

Hannah – 6/6 PBs

Heidi – 4/4 PBs, including a new Yorks QT for 100m Back, and a medal in every race

Jake – 8/8 superb PBs, a new Yorks QT for 100m Fly, and 2 A grade medals (one of them Gold)

James T – 6/6 PBs and 1 medal

Jess B – 3 PBs, a new Yorks QT for 50 Back, and a medal

Joan – a PB and 3 medals, despite scaling back training significantly to take her A Levels

Laura – 7/8 PBs, including 2 new Yoks QTs (50 Free & 100 Back), and 3 medals

Libby  - 4/4 PBs, including a fantastic 50 Free swim (30.65) earning her a Yorks QT, and 2 medals (1 at A grade)

Lilly – 5/5 PB swims, including some big improvements

Meredith – 6/7 PBs and 3 A grade medals

Robyn – 6 nice PBs, continuing the big strides forwards she takes at every gala

Scarlett – 4 good PBs

William – 6/8 PBs, new Yorks QTs for 100 Free & 100 Back, and 5 medals (2 at A grade)

Zachary – 5/6 PBs, new Yorks QTs for 100m IM & 50 Back, and 5 medals, including an A grade Silver

Well done to everyone 😊

Most of our Competitive Squad, plus a few others, had an enjoyable weekend at the Richmond Dales April Fool Meet.  Many of the swimmers took the opportunity to try some of the longer events for the first time and others achieved some big PBs in events they hadn’t swum for a few months, showing just how much they are improving all the time.

Our youngest swimmers put in awesome performances: Aiden S achieving good PBs in all his 4 races and winning two bronze medals; while Alex T swam 6 PBs, won a silver and 3 bronze medals and gained qualifying times for the Winter Yorkshire Competition in 4 events.  Freddie was also on great form and his efforts earned him 2 bronze medals and a Yorkshire QT.  And Alex M showed that continuing to train hard really does reap rewards, with PBs in all 7 of his events earning himself 2 golds and a bronze medal.  A good PB for Ben in 200m IM saw him take gold too.

For the girls, Robyn, Ellie, Libby, Lilly and Scarlett all put in several great PB swims, with Ellie winning a bronze medal and achieving a Yorkshire QT.  Our older girls, Jess B and Laura, though not quite on their best form on the day, came away with a silver and a gold, and 2 gold medals respectively.

Well done team!