North Eastern Regional Championships 10th/11th June 2006 Ponds Forge Sheffield

Ellie Makes It A Hat Trick Of Qualifying Times.

Whilst everyone was watching the England match and enjoying the warm weather, the Skipton swimmers had swimming on their minds. Ellie Belk who secured her first National time, in the 400 free two weeks ago, was determined to produce more swims that would give her more races at the National Championships at the end of July. She did not disappoint! In the 200 free, she produced a steady opening first 100 and then left her rivals far behind to make her national time by 0.4 secs (2.20.76), the following day saw the highlight of the weekend by producing an 18 seconds lifetime best in the distance event of 800 free. This is a staggering 32 lengths of a standard 25m swimming pool. Her race plan was to achieve the first 100m in 1min10secs and then the 200m in 2min 28sec and try to hit the half way mark at sub 5 minute pace. She paced the swim to perfection and at the 400m mark started to gradually move up the field. Her finishing time of 9min 57.54 second was inside the National time by nearly 8 seconds. Her final 400 was completed faster than the first 400 which is unusual for an age group swimmer to be able to achieve.

Two silver medals were achieved by Hannah Robertshaw and Julia Scrivin in the 100 backstroke. Hannah, 12, who achieved gold last week in the 200, had to settle for 2nd place as rival, Alicia Holdsworth pipped her on the touch to get the gold. Julia Scrivin, who qualified 4th into the final again produced an impressive start to give current National Champion Aimee Wilmott a run for her money. With Wilmott turning in 33.22 and Julia in 34.45 they raced well up to 25m to go when Wilmott showed her class and pulled away. Julia's finishing time of 1.10.62 was a personal best and will improve her national ranking.

Both Hannah and Ellie also secured another final each by racing side by side in the 400 Medley with Hannah finishing in 8th whilst Ellie finished 10th.

Abi Kerr, 11, who made her debut last weekend in a regional final continued her winning ways by producing two best times in the heat and the final of the 100 Breaststroke, finishing 4th in a time of 1.28.10.

James Dawson, was the only boy to make a final, when he made the 200 Butterfly and 100 Breaststroke final. Qualifying into both finals in 10th place he produced two solid swims to finish 8th in the Butterfly in a 6 second personal best of 3.00.81 and another 8th in the Breaststroke in a time of 1.34.56.

Other swimmers producing good personal best appearances at Regional level were Rachael Scrivin (5 second best time in 100 Breaststroke), Philip Foster-Dennison (10 second best time in 100 Back), Sophie O'Hara (4 second best time in 100 Breaststroke) , Niki Chatburn and Sam Westcott who swam a 4 second personal best in the 200 free event.