15 Jul 2007 - Junior Speedo League and Cambridge Meet
Photo of Cambridge Meet 2007 - Top Club Winners
2007 is proving to be an award winning and lucrative season for the youngsters of Thurrock Swimming club. Not content with being crowned Essex county swimming champions back in March and then finishing third in the East Region age group championships in June, the club recently added two more lucrative pieces of silverware to its ever increasing honours list.
The junior speedo team made up of squad swimmers aged between 9 and 12 were recently crowned division one champions of the M11 junior speedo league and swimmers right through the age ranks helped Thurrock bring home the top club trophy at the recent Cambridge Summer Open Meet.
The junior speedo league final was a tense affair with Thurrock finishing ahead of established clubs such as Kingston Royals, Barnet Copthall and local Essex rivals Runnymede and Romford Town. Thurrock had over 20 victories in the final round with the 11 year contingent putting on a master class in sprinting. Both the 11 year girls and boys teams continue to be a major force in this event, taking a clean sweep of all ten races in this age group. Katherine Stephens won both the 50m fly and freestyle, Amy Gore the 50m back with Kayleigh Sims winning the 50m breast. For the boys, Gareth Hawkins won the 50m back, Sonny Ford the 50m fly and Bradley Clarke the 50m breast and 50m free.
The boys 9 year old contingent continued their impressive debut season with Bobbie McCarthy winning both the 25m free and fly events and George Epsly taking 1st place in the 25m back. The boys then combined with Jake Mills and Kieran Gore to win both freestyle and medley relay events.
Thurrock also collected a whole host of impressive 2nd and 3rd place swims with Salaam Motin taking 2nd spot in the 10 years 50m breast and 50m back and Rachael Moore emulating her team mate in the girls 50m back. James Day doubled up with two third places in the 10 years 50m free and 50m fly and Amy Beardwell Lacey also took 3rd place in the 12 years 50m fly.
Thurrock's 2007 successful speedo league team was made up of the following swimmers;
Amy Gore, Kayleigh Sims, Amy Beardwell Lacey, Katherine Stephens, Charlie Hard, Gareth Hawkins, Sonny Ford, Thomas Head, Bradley Clarke, Joe Brown, Thomas Head, Eloise Lyons, Hope Jones, Lucy Sapsford, Tillie Geggus, Bobbie McCarthy Kieran Gore, Jake Mills, George Epsly, Emma Cassidy, Rachael Moore, Rose Merritt, Lily Mann, Salaam Motin, James Day, Georgia Mills, Melissa Cowell.
At the Cambridge Summer Open Meet it was the turn of some of Thurrock?s more experienced swimmers to steal the limelight. Fourteen year old James Mitchell from Stifford Clays and fifteen year old Thomas Ford from Grays led by example and were both crowned top boy in the their respective age groups. Thomas dominated the 15 and over age group with two victories in the 200m IM and 50m back and followed up with a hat trick of 2nd places in the 100m fly, 100m back and 100m free. James also dominated the 13/14 year age group winning the 100m fly and claiming 2nd places in the 200m fly and 100m back and 3rd in the 50m back.
The clubs senior girls also waded in with some top performances of their own. Aveley School student Francesca Day narrowly missed the top girl award in the 15 year and over category, by a single point. Fran produced a fine set of swims which included a win in the 50m back, 2nd places in the 100m free and 100m fly to go with a hat trick of 3rd places in other events. Sixteen year old Emma Backhurst was also in fine form collecting three wins in the 50m and 100m fly and 100m free.
The success of Thurrock's senior swimmers motivated the rest of the team and other top 3 places were plentiful. In the girls 13/14 year age group, Grays Convent pupil Whitney Hard won both the 50m and 100m fly events and swam to a fine 2nd place in the 50m back. Team mate Emily Neal also claimed two fine wins in the 100m back and 100m IM. Amy Hatfield followed up with a 3rd spot in the 50m fly.
In the girls 9/10 age group Rose Merritt celebrated a fine days swimming when she collected 1st place in the 50m fly and two 2nd spots in the 50m back and 50m free. Rose was supported by four successful swimmers who also romped home to top three finishes in this age group. Emma Cassidy won the 50m back, Rachael Moore, was victorious in the 50m free, Eloise Lyons claimed an excellent 2nd spot in the 200m IM and Georgia Hargreaves took 3rd spot in the 200m free.
The boys also had reason to celebrate with many fine performances throughout the age categories. In the 13/14 year age group, Thomas Mangan took 2nd and 3rd places respectively in the 200m IM and 100m free, while Gareth Hawkins romped home to win the 100m fly and took 3rd spot in the 50 fly in the 11/12 year age group. Also competing in this age group was Harry Geggus who claimed top spot in the 200m IM and 3rd place in the 100m breast. Charlie Hard also waded when he took 3rd place in the 100m fly.
The boys competing in the youngest 9/10 age group also waded in with many successful swims. Salaam Motin celebrated victory in the 50m fly and a 3rd place in the 50m free, with team mate Bobbie McCarthy collecting a hat trick of top three swims; 1st in the 50m back, 2nd in the 50m free and 3rd in the 50m breast. George Epsly completed the haul of top 3 places with a fine 3rd place in the 50m fly.
The Cambridge open meet was also a big event for several of Thurrock's younger swimmers who were competing in their 1st open competition outside of their home pool. These swimmers also produced a fine set of swims and included Paige Westbrook, Ruth Bayton, Sophie Morris, Chloe Bass, Lucy Sapsford, Daniel Thompson, Ashley Clarke, William Manning and Keelan Howes.
2007 is proving to be an award winning and lucrative season for the youngsters of Thurrock Swimming club. Not content with being crowned Essex county swimming champions back in March and then finishing third in the East Region age group championships in June, the club recently added two more lucrative pieces of silverware to its ever increasing honours list.
The junior speedo team made up of squad swimmers aged between 9 and 12 were recently crowned division one champions of the M11 junior speedo league and swimmers right through the age ranks helped Thurrock bring home the top club trophy at the recent Cambridge Summer Open Meet.
The junior speedo league final was a tense affair with Thurrock finishing ahead of established clubs such as Kingston Royals, Barnet Copthall and local Essex rivals Runnymede and Romford Town. Thurrock had over 20 victories in the final round with the 11 year contingent putting on a master class in sprinting. Both the 11 year girls and boys teams continue to be a major force in this event, taking a clean sweep of all ten races in this age group. Katherine Stephens won both the 50m fly and freestyle, Amy Gore the 50m back with Kayleigh Sims winning the 50m breast. For the boys, Gareth Hawkins won the 50m back, Sonny Ford the 50m fly and Bradley Clarke the 50m breast and 50m free.
The boys 9 year old contingent continued their impressive debut season with Bobbie McCarthy winning both the 25m free and fly events and George Epsly taking 1st place in the 25m back. The boys then combined with Jake Mills and Kieran Gore to win both freestyle and medley relay events.
Thurrock also collected a whole host of impressive 2nd and 3rd place swims with Salaam Motin taking 2nd spot in the 10 years 50m breast and 50m back and Rachael Moore emulating her team mate in the girls 50m back. James Day doubled up with two third places in the 10 years 50m free and 50m fly and Amy Beardwell Lacey also took 3rd place in the 12 years 50m fly.
Thurrock's 2007 successful speedo league team was made up of the following swimmers;
Amy Gore, Kayleigh Sims, Amy Beardwell Lacey, Katherine Stephens, Charlie Hard, Gareth Hawkins, Sonny Ford, Thomas Head, Bradley Clarke, Joe Brown, Thomas Head, Eloise Lyons, Hope Jones, Lucy Sapsford, Tillie Geggus, Bobbie McCarthy Kieran Gore, Jake Mills, George Epsly, Emma Cassidy, Rachael Moore, Rose Merritt, Lily Mann, Salaam Motin, James Day, Georgia Mills, Melissa Cowell.
At the Cambridge Summer Open Meet it was the turn of some of Thurrock?s more experienced swimmers to steal the limelight. Fourteen year old James Mitchell from Stifford Clays and fifteen year old Thomas Ford from Grays led by example and were both crowned top boy in the their respective age groups. Thomas dominated the 15 and over age group with two victories in the 200m IM and 50m back and followed up with a hat trick of 2nd places in the 100m fly, 100m back and 100m free. James also dominated the 13/14 year age group winning the 100m fly and claiming 2nd places in the 200m fly and 100m back and 3rd in the 50m back.
The clubs senior girls also waded in with some top performances of their own. Aveley School student Francesca Day narrowly missed the top girl award in the 15 year and over category, by a single point. Fran produced a fine set of swims which included a win in the 50m back, 2nd places in the 100m free and 100m fly to go with a hat trick of 3rd places in other events. Sixteen year old Emma Backhurst was also in fine form collecting three wins in the 50m and 100m fly and 100m free.
The success of Thurrock's senior swimmers motivated the rest of the team and other top 3 places were plentiful. In the girls 13/14 year age group, Grays Convent pupil Whitney Hard won both the 50m and 100m fly events and swam to a fine 2nd place in the 50m back. Team mate Emily Neal also claimed two fine wins in the 100m back and 100m IM. Amy Hatfield followed up with a 3rd spot in the 50m fly.
In the girls 9/10 age group Rose Merritt celebrated a fine days swimming when she collected 1st place in the 50m fly and two 2nd spots in the 50m back and 50m free. Rose was supported by four successful swimmers who also romped home to top three finishes in this age group. Emma Cassidy won the 50m back, Rachael Moore, was victorious in the 50m free, Eloise Lyons claimed an excellent 2nd spot in the 200m IM and Georgia Hargreaves took 3rd spot in the 200m free.
The boys also had reason to celebrate with many fine performances throughout the age categories. In the 13/14 year age group, Thomas Mangan took 2nd and 3rd places respectively in the 200m IM and 100m free, while Gareth Hawkins romped home to win the 100m fly and took 3rd spot in the 50 fly in the 11/12 year age group. Also competing in this age group was Harry Geggus who claimed top spot in the 200m IM and 3rd place in the 100m breast. Charlie Hard also waded when he took 3rd place in the 100m fly.
The boys competing in the youngest 9/10 age group also waded in with many successful swims. Salaam Motin celebrated victory in the 50m fly and a 3rd place in the 50m free, with team mate Bobbie McCarthy collecting a hat trick of top three swims; 1st in the 50m back, 2nd in the 50m free and 3rd in the 50m breast. George Epsly completed the haul of top 3 places with a fine 3rd place in the 50m fly.
The Cambridge open meet was also a big event for several of Thurrock's younger swimmers who were competing in their 1st open competition outside of their home pool. These swimmers also produced a fine set of swims and included Paige Westbrook, Ruth Bayton, Sophie Morris, Chloe Bass, Lucy Sapsford, Daniel Thompson, Ashley Clarke, William Manning and Keelan Howes.