The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A number of South Lincs Competitive Swimming Club young guns clinched county qualifying times (CQT) at the Louth Meridian meet.
Session one saw the youngest swimmer, 11-year-old Anya Strickland, gain her CQT in the 50m breaststroke with a time of 45.18secs that was good enough for third place.
She then clocked a personal best time (PB) in her 100m backstroke event.
In the 200m IM, 13-year-old Aurinija Maliauskaite secured a good PB and a top three placing.
Next the 200m fly for Esther Skells (13) in her first time swimming the event at a competition produced a CQT and took third place.
Solid races from 13-year-olds Molly Paxton and Edward Skells saw Paxton just outside her PB in the 100m backstroke and 100m IM, with Skells gaining a first event time for his 200m fly.
Elsewhere, a great race Atticus Strickland (14) in the 50m freestyle in 28.40secs gained him his last needed CQT for the season.
The following sessions saw young Anya Strickland go on to gain a further two more CQT in the 400m IM and 100m freestyle.
More PBs from Skells and and Maliauskaite followed in the 100m IM as they gained third and first places respectively in their age group.
RACING THE CLOCK! South Lincs swimmers at Louth.
- South Lincs Competitive Swimming Club also enjoyed a successful day at the Wycombe county and regional qualifier event.
Mollie Briggs (age 12), Hannah Willis (12) and Ellisha Cookson (13) started with the 800m free race – and all achieved personal best (PB) times for the Spalding-based club.
Briggs knocked eight seconds off her time and went on to achieve a silver medal in the 200m fly.
Willis’ excellent performance in the 200m back and 100m fly brought home a silver medal, while she also won bronze for the 200m fly and 100m free.
Cookson, meanwhile, bagged bronzes in the 400m free, 200m IM and 400m IM events.
Elsewhere, Daisy Rummery (13) achieved silver in the 200m backstroke.
Andre Ubaviciute (13) and Naomi Blanchard (12) swam well to achieve PBs, with the latter improving in all of her races.
Brother, Luke Blanchard (16) was the only boy attending and claimed seven medals, including silver for his 400m free.
Dusty Staines (13) joined the team later on and then blasted down the pool to gain a PB and midland qualifying time (MQT) for her 50m free.
Emma Croker’s (12) love of short distance races saw her bring home gold for 50m free and 50m back, silver for 50m fly and 100m free, plus three bronze medals.
Head coach Callum Lawson said: “I’m really pleased with the results this weekend.
“We’ve not had the greatest preparation since September with illness and injuries, so for the swimmers to be on their best times is fantastic and shows great promise for the remainder of the season.”
