Stowmarket Swimming Club's A team boys retained the overall boys trophy at the Suffolk Swimming Winter League Finals. Competing at Haverhill, the boys put in a solid performance in all age groups with the senior boys in particular seeming unstoppable. The whole team put in the extra effort which showed by the team attaining 13 personal best times in the the first 16 races.
This team effort was reflected in a fourth overall placing for the girls team, which combined with the boys resulted in a fourth place overall for the Stowmarket A team.
The evening started well with Ella Delves putting in the first PB in the Girls Open 100IM (1.14.28) and was followed by a fine first place swim in the boys open from David Harrison.
Chloe Long shrugged off the pressure next to knock exactly two seconds off her previous best in the Girls 11u 50 back (36.47), with Robert Borrett also swimming his best in the boys 11u 50 back, both achieving solid second places.
Chloe was a name to watch, with Chloe Allen matching Ms Long’s performance by also swimming faster than her previous best by about two seconds in the girls 11U 50 breast (45.58).
It was the boys, however, who pushed the pace. Will Blackaby achieved two first places in the open 50m fly and 50m backstroke setting new personal best times in each of 26.24, and 27.87 respectively. David Harrison kept the points tally up by winning the joker event of the boys open 50m fly, while his brother Sean stepped up from a stint in the B team to get first place in the open 50m free with his fastest swim of the year in 24.54s.
The overall results had the girls getting 60 points and fourth place, missing out on third by a single point, and the boys winning the gala, and the league overall for the second year running, with 99 points – way ahead of the next boys' team, Deben, on 84 points.
Curiously over at the B team finals being swum at Felixstowe, the boys team also swam a very positive meet and also came out as winners with 99 points.
The B team had some previous swimmers absent and so some new (and old) blood was needed on the day, and they also put in their best, mirroring the A team with 13 personal best times in the first 16 races. Alison Jeffries started proceedings with a new best time in the girls open 100IM (1.22.39).
Spurred on, the younger members put in their best times, with Charlotte Champion knocking more than four seconds off her previous best in the girls 12/13 50m fly (41.42), and Tom Borrett swimming a strong race in the boys 12/13 50m back to get under 36 secs for the first time (35.93), and Aidan Coe speeding up by 1.5 secs in the boys 11u 50m fly (42.31).
The older members of the team played their part, with Joe Freezer wining the 50m fly open (28.43) and bringing the senior free relay team home in first place, overhauling a four-metre deficit on the final leg.
Perhaps the most exciting race of the evening was the boys junior medley relay. Thomas Jordan Pierce started proceedings with a strong swim to keep the team in contention, and Ollie Hale taking up the pace with a strong swim in the breastroke leg. Calvin Coe took the team into first place with a strong swim on the 50m fly leg and handed over to Nick Borrett, the youngest team member. Nick set off very strongly and swam the race of his life against much larger opposition to bring the team home in second having been out-touched at the wall.
The boys B team gained 99 points on the night and the girls 34 points to come home in a combined fifth place.
This was a good event for both teams and sets up many of the swimmers for the County Championships next weekend.
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