Lancashire County Age Group
and Youth Swimming Championships
Preston Swimming Club took a strong contingent to the British Gas Lancashire County Age Group and Youth Swimming Championships and came away with 47 medals, 17 of them gold.
The event takes place at the Manchester Aquatics Centre and sees the Preston swimmers up against top swimmers from rest of Lancashire as well as Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
Preston Head Coach, Steve Heaps said “This was quite a pleasing County Championships, however, there is room for improvement. We will be trying hard to build on the performance as we continue our training schedule – the emphasis we have placed on stroke and skill development will pay off in the long term and results will improve as our swimmers improve as athletes. The swimmers are working very hard and I am confident we will see the results if we stay patient. I would sincerely like to thank all the teachers and coaches who are working extremely hard with the swimmers to try and ensure we continue our improvement.”
In his first County Championships, 9 year old Connor Adams took a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke with 10 year old Rebecca Moore also taking bronze in the same event.
11 year olds Dominic Walker and Brandon Kinder between them took six medals. Walker struck gold in the 50m backstroke also taking silver in the 200m individual medley and bronze in the 50m freestyle. Kinder achieved two national qualifying times as he took silver in the 100m breaststroke along with two bronze medals in the 50m and 200m events in the same stroke.
Shauntelle Austin was in amazing form as she confidently bagged 12 medals, 7 of them gold and with 7 national qualifying times. Austin’s gold medals came in the 50m and 100m back, 400m freestyle, 200m IM and the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly.
The 12 year old age group provided a further bronze medal as Harry Murphy came third in the 100m backstroke.
14 year old Cameron Austin was not to be out done by his younger sister as he also took an incredible 12 medals, 5 of them gold with 6 national qualifying times. Austin took his gold medals in the 100m and 200m butterfly, 200m IM, 200m freestyle and the gruelling 1500m freestyle. Jack Smith added to the gold medal tally coming first in the 200m breaststroke, as well as coming second in the 1500m freestyle and third in the 400m IM. Florie McLeish took gold in the 400m IM.
Oliver Walker recorded a brace of gold medals as he came first in the 15 year old 50m and 100m breaststroke and 16 year old Jack Holden took a bronze in the 200m freestyle.
17 year old Justin Austin came second in the 100m and 200m backstroke and the 200m butterfly, all in national qualifying times and took bronze in the 100m butterfly. Dean Heaps came in the silver medal position in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke both in national qualifying times.
James Radcliffe took silver in the 400m IM and bronze in the 200m fly.
Myles Kitcher
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