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KILLERWHALES AT 2008 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS

The first round of the 2008 Essex County Championships was held at Blackshots in Grays last weekend and featured the 50 metre sprint events plus relays. 14 year old Lewis Clifford-Stephenson led the way for the Killerwhales with a superb win in the 50 metre breaststroke to win the Gold and become Essex champion. Leading up to the 25 metres stage he turned well and kept the pressure on to win in a new personal best time and take the top spot. Lewis later added a bronze in the butterfly event.

The ‘Whales had a clutch of silver medals with Dean Smith taking 2^nd in the ‘fly in the Open Age category whilst 15 year old Katinka Merchan earned silver with a determined swim in the Backstroke, both only just missing out on the top spot. Katinka continued her form over the weekend with a 5^th in the ‘fly but saved her best for last in the 4 X 100m Open Age Group medley.

Despite lining up against older and more experienced opposition Katinka took the Women’s relay team out with a new personal best time in the backstroke to hand over in second place to Henny Andrews for the breaststroke leg. With a battling performance Henny put in one of her fastest ever swims before Julia Braybrooke took over for the butterfly. A storming 100m swim and another personal best meant Laura Andrews was left to fight it out for silver against three opposing teams who were all within a metre. Although caught over the first 50 Laura turned on the style and powered home over the last 50 to hold on for second place by the narrowest of margins to the cheers of the Killerwhales.

The Men’s 4 X 200 freestyle relay event had been no less exciting with Tom Bircham, Jon Congdon, Dan Hime and Dean Smith combining well to take silver in a fiercely competitive final. The same quartet had earlier taken 3^rd and 4^th place in the 100 metre freestyle and medley relays.

Molly Sparks in the 11 year old group produced a fine swim in the 50 ‘fly to claim a well deserved bronze and there were finals too for George Crow who finished 4^th in the 12 year old backstroke, 10 year old Connor Kearns who finished 5^th in the Breast and Henny Andrews also made the Open Age Group Breaststroke final.

The Boys relay team of Lee Parker, Glenn Kennedy, Jon Congdon and Lewis Clifford-Stephenson made finals in both the 100 freestyle and relay events to finish 5^th whilst the Women’s 4 X 100 freestyle relay team also achieved the same position.

In a tough weekend’s swimming there were a host of well earned new personal bests. Youngsters Joe Sparks, Harry Fox and Alex Merchan had a good weekend whilst more established swimmers such as Danielle Rooke and Demi Smith also picked up valuable new Pb’s over the weekend.

The Essex Championships continue in three weeks time when the longer distance events should see the Killerwhales swimmers continuing to excel and pick up even more medals.