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WHALES AT ESSEX CHAMPS

The third round of the 2008 County Championships was held at Blackshots in Grays last weekend. A squad of 22 swimmers competed in 58 races and achieved a top six placing in over 1 in 3 races entered. 16 year old Dean Smith produced the top performances taking silver in both the 100 and 200 metres butterfly in the open age group. Although now based in Hatfield former club captain Dan Hime swum for the Killerwhales under his joint club registration to win the bronze in the 100 fly and finish 4^th in the fiercely competitive 100 Breaststroke.

Jon Congdon emulated his results with a Bronze in the 400 metre freestyle and 4th the in the 200 fly with a new personal best. Lewis Clifford Stephenson, swimming in the 14 year age group found form in both the 200 medley and 100 ‘fly events to take 5^th spot and topped a creditable weekend’s performance with his first sub minute swim in the 100 freestyle heats. To show it was no fluke he went even quicker in the final itself to finish 4^th. George Crow (12) forced his way into the 100 metre backstroke final eventually picking up the 6^th place award whilst 10 year old Connor Kearns continued his development with two 6^th places in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle, the latter with a huge 29 second personal best!

Molly Sparks at 11 years was the girls’ top performer over the weekend. Molly’s best result was 4^th in the 400 medley to which she added a couple of 6^th places in the 200 metre free and fly events. A close run 100 metre medley event saw Molly dead heat for 5^th place in the final.

Katinka Merchan achieved three sixth place finishes in the 15 years age group, in the 200 free and 400 medley saving her best for last in a well paced 400 freestyle swim coming home with a new best time.  One year older Kalei Andrews also picked up 6^th in the open age group 400 freestyle having earlier taking the same position with a great performance in the 400 medley.

In a weekend of many new personal bests and fantastic swims it would be wrong not to mention just a few of the other, particularly younger Killerwhales, who despite not making top six finished achieved great personal results on the day.  13 year old Liane Kennedy set a new pb in the 100 medley to finish 9^th whilst younger sister Mikaela aged 10 found a 10 second improvement in the 200 medley with a battling swim. 9 year olds Daniel Robinson and Harry Fox also had fine swims in the 200 medley recording ten second plus pb’s as did older brother Charlie Fox in the 10 years age group.