WINSFORD Swimming Club's swimmers were in action at the weekend competing for their schools and colleges in the annual English Schools Swimming Association (ESSA) Division 2 Gala at the Austin Rawlinsons pool in Speke.

The standard was very high with several national age group finalists and at least two national age group champions competing, including the overall top 13-year-old girl.

In the junior category there were several fine swims from Adam Sommerville, James Wood, Helen Brockley, Richard Forster, Joanne Reeve, Laura Harrison and Rebecca Ebbitt with the best results being the new club records set by David Anderson (100m freestyle and breaststroke) and Ryan Morris in the 400m freestyle.

Molly Thompson, Joanne Charlton and Andrew West competed in the intermediate category with Molly's fifth place in the final of the 100m breaststroke, in which she set a new club record in the heats, being the most notable performance.

In the senior category Richard Anderson booked his place on the team for ESSA national finals in Jersey by winning the 100m breaststroke and finishing overall second in the 100m freestyle.

It was an exciting day's competition and Winsford's swimmers performed very well for their schools and were a credit to their club.

THE 1998 Deva League started the previous weekend with the first round being hosted by Mold ASC.

A slightly below-strength Winsford team got off to a flying start with 24 event wins out of 42 and finished comfortably in first place ahead of Birkenhead.

In the 11 year age group there were individual wins for Laura Astbury, Georgia Holderness (2), Dominic Chisholm and Andrew Irvine. David Sommerville, Ceri Morris, Kerry Harrison, Sarah Farrall, David Garner and Scott Bennett joined them to complete the medley and freestyle relay teams, which they won.

There were individual wins in the 13 year age group for Laura Harrison (2), James Wood (2), Adam Sommerville and David Anderson. In winning both the medley and freestyle relays they were joined by Joanne Reeve, Helen Brockley, Georgia Holderness, Andrew Irvine, Ryan Morris and Diane Farrall.

Molly Thompson, Caroline Bell, James Wood and Stuart Waddington (2) were the individual winners in the 15 year age group. Diane Farrall, Tracy Farrall, Richard Forster, George Thompson, Adam Sommerville and Helen Brockley completed the teams that won both the medley and freestyle events.

With only three open age group swimmers, Winsford did well to finish with two event winners in Caroline Bell and Andrew Hickson. Andrew also finished in the runner-up place in the 100m butterfly, and Molly Thompson and Steve Bailey in the 100m IM each achieved similar performances.

Simon Swaffield, Laura Harrison, Joanne Reeve, Thomas Dobson, Diane Farrall and Laura Astbury joined them for the medley and freestyle relays in which they finished first and second respectively.

There were improvements to six club records and several personal best times were set. It was an excellent all-round performance and a just reward for all the hard work that the swimmers have put in over the summer months.

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