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Head Coach:
Steve Heaps
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07899994337
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Work: steve.heaps@
baesystems.com
Home: heapsy4@
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North West Region Age Group Championships

Preston Swimming Club produced some fantastic performances at the North West Region Age Group Championships. The club was represented by 17 swimmers in 53 events staged over two weekends at the Manchester Aquatics Centre, and claimed 31 medals, including 14 golds.

Head coach Dave Fairhurst said: “This really was an outstanding effort. We have been training to a programme designed to bring these swimmers to a peak at this stage of the season and so to see the performances in the pool was extremely pleasing. It really is testament to the hard work and commitment these swimmers have put in through the season. We now have seven swimmers competing in the National Age Group Championships in Sheffield later this month which is the most we have taken for years.”

Preston’s youngest competitor, 10-year-old Shauntelle Austin, picked up a medal in all of her 11 events, including six golds. Those performances also ensured she also won her age group points competition.

Also in the 10 years category, Eleanor Laurence competed in five events, and made three finals. She just missed out on a medal in the 200m breaststroke. Kathryn Greenslade made her regional debut in two events. In the boys competition, Lee Reeder competed in four events – the 100m backstroke, 100m and 200m freestyle and the 200m individual medley.

Katie Mawdsley, 11, reached seven finals in her eight events.She picked up gold medals in the 400m and 800m freestyle, a silver in the 200m freestyle, and was third in her age group competition. She will compete in the national championships thanks to qualifying times in four freestyle events.

Team-mate Abbie Kitcher took silver in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 400m, also also possesses four national qualifying times in freestyle events. Also at 11 years, breaststroke specialist Abbie Huartson made the final in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, while Alishia Finch reached the final in the 100m backstroke.

Georgia Barton, 12, won four gold medals and a silver to finish top of her age group points competition. Her medals came in the 100m and 200m freestyle, 100m and 200m butterfly and the 200m individual medley. She also achieved seven national qualifying times.

In the boys events, Cameron Austin competed in nine races and made the final in all of them, swimming seven national qualifying times. Austin took gold in the 200m individual medley, as well as winning two silvers and three bronze medals and coming second in the age group points competition. Following this competition, Austin now holds twelve national qualifying times for the season

Jack Smith is also heading to the national finals in the 800m freestyle. In his eight events at Manchester, Smith reached the finals in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, and 400m individual medley. Matthew Greenslade competed in all four distances in the freestyle.

Oliver Walker, 13, reached four finals from six events, achieving three silver medals in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley. He has qualified for the nationals in both breaststroke events. Charlotte Sinclair competed in six events in breaststroke, freestyle and individual medley. Distance specialist Luke Pool, 14, competed in three events, finishing seventh in the 1500m freestyle. Jack Holden swam in two events.

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