NW Regional Age Championships 2023, Weekend 1 - REPORT
Over the weekend of the 29th and 30th April Winsford Swim Team travelled to Liverpool to race in the NW Regional Age group championships. After a great Youth Champs our 11-14 years were in action and all were very keen to fight for every metre of the pool, shooting for life time best swims, finals, medals and ultimately achieve the crown of Regional Champion.
The sessions were incredibly long, with the days beginning at 7:40am and finishing at 6:30pm with little break in-between, the pool atmosphere was hot, very hot, not just in temperature but also volume levels. There was not a spare seat to be had on the balcony, and poolside was the busiest I have ever seen it for a Regional Championships. But this did not deter any of our swimmers as everyone absolutely smashed it! Race after race, all swimmers stepped up, achieving life time bests not only in the heats but also going from heat to final. There is nothing better than racing in a final, with the music playing and the vociferous cheering from the poolside and the balcony. I have to say we at Winsford had the loudest cheering for all swimmers, without a doubt.
The results were fantastic with 9 GOLD, 8 SILVER and 4 BRONZE medals won, totalling 21 medals over the 4 sessions. Add to this we also gained 35 finals, with 12 swimmers reaching a top 8 placing. It was a fantastic weekend of racing, and it sets us up nicely for the final weekend of the Regional championships in little under 2 weeks time.
Weekend 1 of the AGE Group Championships
GOLD: 9
SILVER: 8
BRONZE: 4
Total Medals: 21
FINALS: 35
Medal Winners and Finalists
Luke Nevin Suarez (11-12) GOLD 200 Free, GOLD 50 Free, GOLD 200 IM, GOLD 100 Free, SILVER 50 Fly, SILVER 50 BK, SILVER 200 BK,
Tom Rickels (11-12) GOLD 400 Free, GOLD 1500 Free, GOLD 50 BK, GOLD 200 BK, SILVER 200 Free, SILVER 100 Free, BRONZE 50 Free,
Kate Schillinger (13) GOLD 50 BK, SILVER 200 Free, SILVER 100 BK, SILVER 200 IM, BRONZE 100 Free, 6th 100 Brst,
Annabelle Chan (13) BRONZE 200 Fly, 4th 100 BK, 4th 200 IM, 8th 50 BK,
Gus Fraser (11-12) BRONZE 1500 Free, 5th 50 Fly, 8th 400 Free,
Hattie Lawson (11-12) 4th 200 Fly,
Freya Querelle (13) 4th 50 BK,
Edward Ma (14) 5th 1500 Free, 7th 200 IM,
Harry Jones (13) 6th 1500 Free,
Jasmine Lloyd (13) 7th 200 Fly,
Izzy Fletcher (14) 7th 100 BK,
Ciaran Turner (14) 7th 1500 Free
Winsford Swim Team Competitors
Euan Atkinson, Aston Broomhall, George Davies, Jack Finkemeyer, Gus Fraser, Jack George, Harry Jones, Edward Ma, Fraser McVicar, Luke Suarez, George Pearce, Tom Rickels, Charlie Smith, Cole Staley, Sonny Thomas, Ciaran Turner, Jess Barnett, Annabelle Chan, Bria Coxon, Amelia Fitzgerald, Izzy Fletcher, Alice Gooding, Penelope Harrison, Harriet Lawson, Jasmine Lloyd, Molly Lloyd, Charlotte Peel, Freya Querelle, Erin Ross, Kate Schillinger, Serena Standring, Holly Venning, Chloe Hancock, Summer Jane.
Many thanks to Gemma Barnett, Sarah Rickels and Andy Jones for team managing. Also thanks to Izzy Burton for helping out with the coaching over the weekend, really appreciated. Thanks to all who helped out with the officiating and to all parents on the balcony, it was great to hear such loud support for the finals, a roar went up for our swimmers when their names were read out, which was fantastic.
Well done to all our age group swimmers who competed this weekend, a super fast meet for everyone. A million percent, more to come in two weeks time and we will look forward with tremendous excitement, it is going to be fun!
Before this however we look forward to a dozen of our swimmers racing in Swansea, go there and give it 100%.
See you at the pool
Dan.
