SKIPTON SWIMMING CLUB
PRESS REPORT
YORKSHIRE AGE GROUPS CHAMPIONSHIPS

With so many events to run the County Age Group Championships takes place over 3 weekends. Last weekend saw the first of the three at Leeds International Pool, with the last two at the end o March being held at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

Hannah Robertshaw, who has just returned from a demanding warm weather training camp in Malaga with the Yorkshire Team, successfully retained her 200m backstroke title that she won in 2006. She led from the gun and was never threatened and produced another solid personal best time of 2.27.22. With only another month until the British Championship she is showing strong form and will hope to improve upon this. Her 5th place in the 200 breaststroke showed that she is versatile around all the strokes.

Rachael 'Reggie' Scrivin produced a well paced and technical swim in the 200 breaststroke. Her previous time of 3.30.02 recorded in June 2006 was going to be under serious threat. Her training over the past 6 months has increased and her technical ability has improved greatly. Her 1st 100m was close to her best and she swam strongly in the latter part of the race to record a big best time of 3.15.33. This gained her a place into the final in 4th place. Her race strategy for the final was to swim the opening 1st 50 with more control thereby leaving more at the end for the final surge to the finish line and hopefully the podium for a medal. She swam it like an experienced professional, her 1st 50 was nearly a 1 second slower than her heat but this allowed her to increase the pressure upon her rivals in the last part of the race and finished with a bronze medal and another faster time of 3.11.34. This now places her in the top 5 within the country but with a National qualifying time of 3.05.55 she still has work to do to achieve the time. She also competed in the 200IM, 100 & 200 freestyle producing huge best times.

The other medallist for Skipton was Abi Kerr, who went one better than last year. Her bronze medal in the 100 breaststroke also included a personal best. Having made the final in 4th place she also had to race to a faster time to secure a place on the podium. She is now only 3.65 seconds of the National time and will need to train consistently through the Spring. Her 200 free was also a strong best time in an event that is not her favoured stroke.

Ellie Belk was the swimmer who made most finals this weekend. Her best finish was in the 100 freestyle where she swam a solid heat swim to qualify into the final in 7th place and then produced an attacking 1st 50 to finish in 4th place with a personal best time of 1.05.34 - only 2 seconds shy of a National time. Her other finals saw her placed 6th in the 200 free and 7th in the 100 butterfly.

Other notable swims came from the boys; Kieran Belk recorded a 10th place in the 200 free with a swim that saw him break the 3 minute barrier as well as a strong medley swim. Philip Foster-Dennison swam to two best times in the 200 free and 200 IM as well as Kelly Bucke who achieved her District time in 200 free along with a personal best.

Carolyn Haworth had a mixed set of results. She had to settle for two reserve final positions (9th). Still trying to find form after a lengthy illness is not an easy job but she is training hard and is now back to her full training program. With more time in the water she should regain full fitness and will surely find form over the next six months or so.

Finally, Sophie O'Hara has made many stroke changes over the past three months and is working hard to establish a new stroke technique on her breaststroke. With a 'work in progress' she had to be pleased with a best time of nearly 8 seconds in the 200 breaststroke finishing in a commendable position of 20th. With changes still to make and develop she is showing strong potential to do well within the coming year.