A team of 19 South Lincs swimmers were in action at the first weekend of East Midlands Regional Championships.
This first weekend was primarily for the 14 and under age groups, although they were joined by some the club’s older swimmers for the 800m freestyle event.
The swimmers brought their best to the meet as they stormed to a host of finals, new personal best (pb) times and a collection of medals.
Charlie Bisby was in fine form as he won five regional titles in the boys’ 12 years and under age group.
Bisby had a tremendous race with his nearest rival in the 100m breaststroke and swam to a new pb of 1.27.95 as he claimed his first gold of the weekend.
He followed this up with gold in the 50m freestyle as he touched the wall in 30.08s.
Bisby also took gold in the 800m freestyle event, again in a new pb of 10.18.78.
In both the 50m backstroke and the 200m freestyle, Bisby led from the start and held on to touch the wall in the backstroke in a pb of 34.04s for a fourth gold, and in the 200m freestyle in a best time of 2.22.17 for a fifth gold.
He also picked up silver in the 400m individual medley with another pb of 5.51.77.
Oscar Goldsmith was in action in the 800m freestyle where he touched the wall in 9.12.61, seeing him claim gold in the boys’ 15 years age group.
S10 para-swimmer Orlaigh Greer was competing in her first regional championships against able bodied athletes.
She set a new pb of 37.66s which saw her claim silver in the multi-classification category of the 50m freestyle.
Sigourney Bolton took to the blocks in her favourite breaststroke events.
In the 200m breaststroke final, she turned in an outstanding swim touching the wall in a new pb of 2.50.76 to claim bronze.
Bolton also put in another strong performance in the 100m breaststroke, stopping the clock at 1.20.23 to take fourth place.
Kitty Lamb set a new pb of 34.85s in the girls’ 12 years and under final of the 50m backstroke to take fourth place.
In the 200m breaststroke she lost her goggles on the start but battled through finishing in a solid 3.23.96 to take eighth place.
In the 100m breaststroke Lamb swam to a pb of 1.29.53 to take another fourth place.
She closed out her weekend in the 50m freestyle where she stormed down the pool to hit the wall in 29.94s to take fifth place.
Eydee Chilvers was competing at her first regional championships and took on the 50m backstroke.
She dropped almost seven seconds off her pb and touched the wall in 39.83s.
Charlie Ward couldn’t stop setting new pb times over the weekend. In the 100m breaststroke it was a huge 14-second improvement as Ward finished in 1.34.61.
In the 50m freestyle he lowered his pb by a second and a half. It was another pb for Ward in the 50m backstroke as he stopped the clock in 37.89s, a four-second improvement.
There was also a significant improvement for Ward in the 200m freestyle, he finished in a new pb time of 2.27.86.
Aaron Sadler had an impressive two days of swimming. He started his campaign in the 200m butterfly setting a new pb of 2.48.59, an incredible 19-second improvement on his previous best.
In the final Sadler improved this pb touching home in 2.48.43 to take eighth place.
He went on to set new pb times in both the 50m backstroke and the 200m freestyle.
Frank Lamb qualified through to the boys’ 14 years age group final of the 200m butterfly where he finished with a time of 2.42.21 to take sixth place.
He set new pb times in the 50m backstroke, 200m freestyle and the 200m breaststroke.
Lexie Hamilton set a new pb time in the 200m freestyle as she stopped the clock in 2.29.28, a six-second improvement.
She had a tremendous swim in the 400m individual medley, lowering her best time by 12 seconds and breaking the six-minute barrier for the first time.
Hamilton closed out the weekend with another pb in the 200m butterfly.
Battling injury, Lucy Wilson took to the blocks for the 200m freestyle where she managed a new pb of 2.31.61.
Wilson joined team mates Lamb, Hannah Bruce and Bolton in the 4 x 50 freestyle relay where they improved their entry time by more than a second.
Bruce also took on the 400m individual medley and swam an outstanding race to set a new pb of 5.42.57 and take eighth place.
She sprinted through her 50m freestyle event to set a pb of 30.02s and closed out the weekend with a two-second drop on her pb in the 200m butterfly.
Will Vere was competing in his first regional championships and took on one of the hardest events in the programme, the 200m butterfly.
He swam an excellent race, working hard throughout to make one of the biggest pb improvements of the weekend.
Vere lowered his best time by 22 seconds as he stopped the clock in 2.54.30.
Matteo Monaco was in fine form as he set a new pb in the 50m backstroke of 33.33s, an improvement of over a second.
He showed his versatility as he turned to the 800m freestyle for his second event of the weekend and once again produced a pb time of five seconds as he stopped the clock in a time of 9.51.04.
Monaco also set a new pb in the 200m breaststroke as he finished in 2.56.26 and qualified through to the final. Sadly it was disqualification in the final for Monaco, but his heat time stands as a pb.
Emily Briggs took to the blocks as she took on the 200m butterfly.
She posted one of the biggest improvements of any swimmer over the weekend as she lowered her pb by 17 seconds to touch the wall in 3.01.35.
Head coach Keith Haynes said: “I’m delighted with the performances of the swimmers over the course of the weekend.
“There have been so many new pb times achieved and the swimmers have really stepped up to compete on the big occasion.
“We have seen the swimmers make the important progression from heats to finals and improve their times through these rounds.
“It has been a great learning opportunity for all of them.”
The 14 and under age groups will contest a second weekend of regional championships in May.
