The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Members of South Lincs Competitive Swimming Club were on incredible form at the Northampton Winter Festival as the squad of 30 brought back 77 medals between them.
Held at Corby, several new personal best times (PB) and club records were set as the Spalding-based club finalised their preparations for the upcoming county championships.
Rico Bringeman impressed over the weekend, claiming a total of nine medals in the boys’ 16 years age group. He got gold on six occasions, all in new PB times.
He showed his prowess over the individual medley (IM) events as he topped the podium in both the 400m and 200m events, while also asserting his dominance in the butterfly events as he swept to victory in both the 100m and 200m.
His winning time of 2.10.13mins in the 200m butterfly was both a club and Lincolnshire County record.
Bringeman also sealed gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle, both in new PB times.
Emma Croker was also on form over the course of the weekend, claiming six medals from six events.
In the girls’ 16 years age group she claimed bronze in the 50m backstroke and added a silver medal in the 100m butterfly, both in PB times.
In her preferred events, Croker showed complete dominance – sweeping to gold in the 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m freestyle. Her 100m freestyle time of 57.29 secs was also a new club and Lincolnshire county record.
Team-mate Oscar Goldsmith swam to new PB times across a range of events and distances and showed his potential.
He collected a hat-trick of gold medals in the boys’ 13 years age group (400m IM, 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke). In the latter he had an excellent race with club-mate Alfie Robinson.
Meanwhile, Frank Lamb produced a host of great swims over the weekend and claimed five medals and clocked new PB times.
Gold came in the boys’ 12 years age group in the 400m IM (PB) and 200m IM (PB).
There were also medals for Lamb in both the 100m and 200m butterfly (both PBs), before he added a further silver in the 200m breaststroke (also PB).
Kitty Lamb was also in action in the girls’ 10/11 years age group and collected an astonishing 11 medals from as many swims – including four golds. She swam to wins in the 100m and 200m backstroke events and the 50m and 100m freestyle in what was her first time swimming in a long course competition.
Also in the girls’ 10/11 years age group, Lucy Wilson collected a hat-trick of gold medals.
She showed her IM prowess as she claimed gold in the 200m (PB), then added two further golds in both the 50m butterfly and the 50m breaststroke (both PB times).
Matteo Monaco also had a positive weekend as he collected five medals in the boys’ 12 years age group.
He started his campaign with a silver medal in the 400m IM, then added a further silver medal in the 200m backstroke (PB).
Monaco then took an amazing 20 seconds off his PB to seal another silver in the 400m freestyle.
Elsewhere, Kieran Ng was taking part in his first long course competition in the boys’ 10/11 years age group – and had a wonderful weekend.
He picked up eight medals from eight swims, including two golds. Ng topped the podium in the 200m backstroke (PB) before powering to victory in the 200m breaststroke (PB).
There was more podium success for Robinson in the boys’ 15 years age group.
Competing in just four events, he managed to claim two gold medals as he swam to the top of the podium in the 200m backstroke (PB).
Robinson added a second gold medal in the 200m breaststroke after a tremendous battle with team mate Goldsmith, clocking another PB in the process.
Also impressing was Daisy Rummery, who made it to the podium on two occasions in the girls’ 17 years and over age group.
Rummery took a silver medal in the 200m backstroke and added a bronze in the 50m backstroke.
Young gun Erin Siggee showed her breaststroke skills as she took a hat-trick of medals in the girls’ 13 years age group.
She took a brace of bronze medals in both the 50m and 100m distances with new PB times.
Siggee went one better in the 200m breaststroke as she claimed the silver medal.
Another on strong form was Thomas Bruce, who claimed five medals over the course of the weekend in the boys’ 15 years age group.
Bruce has been working hard on transitioning to the sprint events and picked up medals in the shorter distances.
There were a brace of bronze medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle events as he set two new PB times.
Bruce then struck silver in the 50m backstroke with another PB and added a bronze in the longer 100m backstroke.
Not done there, he also took a silver medal in the 50m butterfly.
Also among the medals was Alfie Bisby, who claimed a silver medal in the boys’ 14 years age group.
Despite battling with illness, he swam to a new PB time in the 400m IM to claim a super silver.
Mollie Briggs was also a medallist over the course of the weekend.
In the girls’ 16 years age group, she produced a big new PB time in the 200m butterfly to secure a bronze medal.
Hannah Bruce also collected a bronze medal, but in the girls’ 12 years age group. She produced a strong swim in the 100m freestyle to take her podium finish and set a new PB time.
Alex Sadler waited until the final event of the meet to claim a medal – and this came in the boys’ 14 years age group of the 100m freestyle.
He swam an excellent race to touch the wall in a big new PB time of almost six seconds to claim the bronze medal.
