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Steve Heaps
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North Lancashire Age Group and Youth Championships 2009

PSC Swimmers taking top three overall positions in the North Lancs' Age Group and Open events

Preston Swimming Club achieved resounding success in the North Lancashire 2009 Age Group and Youth Championships held at Blackpool’s Palatine Pool.

The North Lancashire Championships sees the top swimmers from across Lancashire compete over two weekends in Age Group categories and in Open competition. The Preston swimmers took a massive 31 points to win the Bob Marshall Trophy with Carnforth coming second (13 points), Newton Hall third (12 points) and Leyland Barracudas fourth (8 points).

Head Coach Dave Fairhurst said “This was a fantastic performance by all the swimmers. I was extremely pleased with last year's performance but this surpasses even that. Last year we had 46 first positions, this year it was 77, all the statistics from national and regional qualifying times to overall age group positions has shown a massive improvement even from a very high bench mark. It is fantastic to receive the honours but I am equally pleased with the fact that of the 539 swims we had, the athletes made personal best times in over 70% of them – this really does do them all proud. Obviously, none of this possible without dedication from the swimmers and the commitment of all the coaching staff at the club”.

Preston recorded a medal tally of 180 which included 77 first places. There were also 226 North West Regional Qualifying times and 23 National Qualifying times achieved over the event compared with 147 and 2 in the corresponding event last year.

The 9 year old boys age group saw Brandon Kinder come top overall with seven first places – Kinder saw gold in the 50m and 200m free, 50m breast, 50m fly, 50m and 200m back as well as 100m IM. Ben Riding and James Brown both took third places.

Holly Mawdsley, aged 9, took three second positions in the 50m and 200m breast and the 50m fly.

The 10 year boys saw a Preston one-two, with Dominic Walker taking top from Lee Reeder in the points competition. Walker recorded two first places in the 50m and 200m back together with a further five second places and one third. Reeder, pipped to first place overall, nevertheless took no fewer than five first positions, in the 50m free, 50m and 200m fly and the 100m and 200m IM, together with a further two seconds and three thirds.

Toby Seers came first in the 50m breast and third in the 50m free, Bradley Walbank took two third positions.

11 year old Harry Murphy came first overall with a magnificent haul of six first positions, in the 100m and 200m free, 50m 100m and 200m back and the 200m IM, also taking two seconds and two thirds. Matthew Rosbottom took three third positions.

Another double top was achieved in the 11 year old girls’ event, with Shauntelle Austin taking top overall ahead of teammate Alishia-Jade Finch. Austin put in a sparkling performance to bring back six top positions, in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1500m free, being edged out to second in the 800m event, and first in the 100m back and 200m IM. This is on top of being too fast for the qualifying times in her favoured butterfly.

Finch continued her impressive form this season by recording three first positions in the 100m and 200m breast and the 200m back, as well as two seconds and a third. Molly MacManamon and Eleanor Laurence took two thirds and a third respectively.

12 year old Abbie Kitcher came third overall with a first in the 400m freestyle and a further three second places. Katie Mawdsley took first in 200m free and 100m back, with two seconds and two thirds. Abby Huartson took a second and two thirds.

13 year old Cameron Austin achieved no fewer than eight first positions showing his opponents a clean pair of heals in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1500m free, 100m and 200m breast and the 100m and 200m back, on top of being too fast to be able to compete in the fly events. Jack Smith took a second and two third positions.

Florie McLeish came third overall in the 13 year old girls event with five first positions - the 400m free and the 100m and 200m in both breast and fly. Georgia Barton’s ability to compete in the overall age group rankings was hampered by the fact she was too fast for many of the qualifying times. Instead she took three first positions in the Open events, 100m and 200m free and 100m fly as well as a first in the 100m back and 100m and 200m IM in the age group events.

In the 800m free, Lena Tunbridge came second and Sophie Laurence third.

14 year olds Oliver Walker and Jack Holden came overall second and third respectively. Walker came first in his favoured breaststroke, in the 100m and 200m, as well as the 200m fly. Holden took four second and three third places. Despite missing out on a top three overall position, Luke Pool put in a magnificent performance to take four first positions in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m free, being nosed out to second in the 100m event.

The 14 year old girls replicated the boys’ positions with Jessica Chadwick coming second and Charlotte Sinclair third. Chadwick came first in the 100m and 200m breast with Sinclair taking first in the 200m fly and 400m IM. Decia Mortimer also recorded two top positions in the 800m free and 200m back.

14 year old Joanne Cutler swam predominantly in the Open events where she came second overall. Cutler took first in the 50m free both in her age group and the open event as well as coming first in the 50m open fly. In the other open events, Laura Berry (16) took two seconds and two thirds with Hayley Smith (16) taking a third.

In the boys Open category, 16 year old Justin Austin proved too strong for the field taking a fantastic five top positions in the 100m and 200m fly and the 50m, 100m and 200m back. Dean Heaps (16) came in third overall with a win in the 200m breast. Mark Tootill (16) came first in the 200m and 400m free and John Rainford (16) came second in the 200m breast.

For further information contact: Myles Kitcher: 07775 584671 email: Myles Kitcher

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