20 Jan 2007 - Essex Championships - Block A
A capacity crowd watched the opening of this year's Essex County Swimming Championships at Blackshots Pool in Grays. The pool was equipped with its full electronic timing systems to cope with the split second finish excitement of the 50 meter sprint events.
Swimming on home territory, over 20 Thurrock swimmers proved they are among the best in the county by making the finals in their events, but it was Thurrock female swimmers that stole the limelight, as 2007 championship titles were claimed by 10 year old Kayleigh Sims, 13 year old Kerriann Chipperfield and 14 year old Georgina Hunt.
Not content with just a victory in the 50m Breastroke, 10 year old Kayleigh Sims also set a new Essex County record when she swam an incredible 40.39 seconds to take gold. Georgina Hunt was crowned a double Essex champion when she swam to victories in the 50m fly (31.53) and 50m breast (37.06). All rounder, Georgina then claimed bronze medals in the 50m free (29.67) and 50m back (33.63). Thurrock's final championship winner, 13 year old Kerriann Chipperfield, showed true sprint pedigree by claiming the gold in the 50m fly (33.11) and collecting silver in the 50m free (30.22).
The opening block of the Essex Championships is a testing time for the clubs younger swimmers and one of the most encouraging things over the weekends competition was the strength of Thurrock's fledging 9 and 10 year olds, with no fewer than 11 of them making finals.
Nine year olds Salaam Motin and Bobbie McCarthy look to have bright swimming careers ahead of them as they both qualified for 4 finals. Salaam, took silver medals in the 50m back (40.61) and 50m breast (46.74) to add to 4th and 6th place in the 50m fly and 50m free. Meanwhile Ockendon based Bobbie, collected a silver in the 50m fly (39.89) and bronze in the 50m back (41.22). Bobbie also added a 4th and 5th place in the 50m breast and 50m free. Not to be outdone, 9 year old James Day swam an impressive personal best to claim 6th place in the 50m fly (41.81).
Nine year old Rose Merritt from Upminster also rose to the occasion when she took a silver medal in the 50m free (36.12) and 6th place in the 50m fly. Swimming in the same age group, Rachael Moore claimed 2 bronze medals in the 50m back (41.88) and 50m free (36.22).
Medal winning swims were also plentiful amongst the borough's 10 year old girls. Grays based Katherine Stephens made a hat-trick of finals, collecting 2 silvers in the 50m fly (37.69) and 50m free (33.57) and a bronze in the 50m breast. Warren primary school pupil, Amy Gore swam to a silver in the 50m breast (41.73) and to 6th places in the 50m free and 50m fly. The medal haul in this age group was completed by Georgia Mills who claimed 5th spot in the 50m back (40.36) and Melissa Cowell who took a 5th and 6th place in the 50m free (34.63) and 50m back (41.11).
Joe Brown from Grays flew the Thurrock flag in the 10 year category and claimed silver in the 50m fly (37.53) and 5th place in the 50m back (39.74).
The were also medals a plenty in the 13 year age group, when Megan Langridge collected 2 silvers in the 50m back (34.15) and 50m fly (33.18), missing out on the gold by less than a 10th of a second. Normal medal winning service was also resumed by Braden Wren who claimed a silver medal in the 50m fly (31.08), to add to 4th and 5th places in the 50m back and 50m free. William Edwards student Abigail Sayer also swam magnificently to take 4th spot in the 50m fly (34.01).
Eleven year olds Bradley Clarke, Gareth Hawkins and Amy Beardwell Lacy also made sprint finals with each of them taking 4th place in the 50m breast, 50m back and 50m fly respectively. Molly Epsly and Charlotte Lamb completed Thurrock's impressive weekend, when Molly swam to 5th spot in the 14 year 50m fly (33.21) and Charlotte claimed 6th place in the 15 year 50m breast (38.65)
At the end of the gruelling weekend, Thurrock were lying in 2nd place overall, but with 3 more blocks of the competition to run, there is still everything to swim for.
Swimming on home territory, over 20 Thurrock swimmers proved they are among the best in the county by making the finals in their events, but it was Thurrock female swimmers that stole the limelight, as 2007 championship titles were claimed by 10 year old Kayleigh Sims, 13 year old Kerriann Chipperfield and 14 year old Georgina Hunt.
Not content with just a victory in the 50m Breastroke, 10 year old Kayleigh Sims also set a new Essex County record when she swam an incredible 40.39 seconds to take gold. Georgina Hunt was crowned a double Essex champion when she swam to victories in the 50m fly (31.53) and 50m breast (37.06). All rounder, Georgina then claimed bronze medals in the 50m free (29.67) and 50m back (33.63). Thurrock's final championship winner, 13 year old Kerriann Chipperfield, showed true sprint pedigree by claiming the gold in the 50m fly (33.11) and collecting silver in the 50m free (30.22).
The opening block of the Essex Championships is a testing time for the clubs younger swimmers and one of the most encouraging things over the weekends competition was the strength of Thurrock's fledging 9 and 10 year olds, with no fewer than 11 of them making finals.
Nine year olds Salaam Motin and Bobbie McCarthy look to have bright swimming careers ahead of them as they both qualified for 4 finals. Salaam, took silver medals in the 50m back (40.61) and 50m breast (46.74) to add to 4th and 6th place in the 50m fly and 50m free. Meanwhile Ockendon based Bobbie, collected a silver in the 50m fly (39.89) and bronze in the 50m back (41.22). Bobbie also added a 4th and 5th place in the 50m breast and 50m free. Not to be outdone, 9 year old James Day swam an impressive personal best to claim 6th place in the 50m fly (41.81).
Nine year old Rose Merritt from Upminster also rose to the occasion when she took a silver medal in the 50m free (36.12) and 6th place in the 50m fly. Swimming in the same age group, Rachael Moore claimed 2 bronze medals in the 50m back (41.88) and 50m free (36.22).
Medal winning swims were also plentiful amongst the borough's 10 year old girls. Grays based Katherine Stephens made a hat-trick of finals, collecting 2 silvers in the 50m fly (37.69) and 50m free (33.57) and a bronze in the 50m breast. Warren primary school pupil, Amy Gore swam to a silver in the 50m breast (41.73) and to 6th places in the 50m free and 50m fly. The medal haul in this age group was completed by Georgia Mills who claimed 5th spot in the 50m back (40.36) and Melissa Cowell who took a 5th and 6th place in the 50m free (34.63) and 50m back (41.11).
Joe Brown from Grays flew the Thurrock flag in the 10 year category and claimed silver in the 50m fly (37.53) and 5th place in the 50m back (39.74).
The were also medals a plenty in the 13 year age group, when Megan Langridge collected 2 silvers in the 50m back (34.15) and 50m fly (33.18), missing out on the gold by less than a 10th of a second. Normal medal winning service was also resumed by Braden Wren who claimed a silver medal in the 50m fly (31.08), to add to 4th and 5th places in the 50m back and 50m free. William Edwards student Abigail Sayer also swam magnificently to take 4th spot in the 50m fly (34.01).
Eleven year olds Bradley Clarke, Gareth Hawkins and Amy Beardwell Lacy also made sprint finals with each of them taking 4th place in the 50m breast, 50m back and 50m fly respectively. Molly Epsly and Charlotte Lamb completed Thurrock's impressive weekend, when Molly swam to 5th spot in the 14 year 50m fly (33.21) and Charlotte claimed 6th place in the 15 year 50m breast (38.65)
At the end of the gruelling weekend, Thurrock were lying in 2nd place overall, but with 3 more blocks of the competition to run, there is still everything to swim for.
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