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Lydia strikes gold for Otters in Wales
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| SMILING SQUAD: The Ferndown Otters squad and coaches during their visit to Swansea |
FERNDOWN Otters' Lydia Black defied the age groupings as well as the odds to strike gold at the Welsh Regional Nationals in Swansea.
The end-of-season long-course competition was open to swimmers who failed to qualify for the ASA National Age Group and Youth Championships at Sheffield.
But there were also some complicated rules for non-Welsh swimmers, many of whom found themselves in older age groups in many of their events.
Twelve-year-old Black found herself in the 15-16 age group yet emerged with gold in the 200m backstroke (2:53.83) and bronze in the 100m back (1:24.35).
Two fast-improving members of the 16-strong Ferndown contingent in Swansea also struck gold, both in the 1500m freestyle.
Sean Heppell, 17, slashed 47 seconds off his PB to win the 17-18yrs event in 19:11.65 while 13-year-old Tom Tiller took the 13-14yrs gold in 19:09.38.
Tiller reached six finals, recorded personal best times in most of them and won a bronze medal in the 800m freestyle (10:12.09).
His 100m freestyle heat time of 59.62 was especially notable as it would have qualified him for the national age groups.
He also knocked 12 seconds off his entry time in the 400m freestyle (5:05.39).
Eleven-year-old Lucy Hargreaves came home with two silver medals, the reward for her second places in the 100m and 200m breaststroke (1:31.72 and 3:21.29).
Danni Shrosbree, 12, reached the finals of all her events and won medals in two of them - silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 200m freestyle.
Jacey Mayall, also 12, qualified for the finals of all seven of her events, collecting silver in the 200m butterfly and backstroke (3:07.49 and 2:53.87) and bronze in the 100m butterfly (1:23.58).
Fellow 12-year-olds Ellen Horner and Luke Raggett also collected bronze medals.
Horner came third in both the 100m breaststroke (1:38.50) and 200m backstroke (3:04.01).
In-form Raggett lowered his personal best times in six of his nine events, including the 200m backstroke in which he dropped six seconds to finish third in 2:53.00.
A bronze also went to 10-year-old Clodagh Dear in the 200m breaststroke (3:38.33) after she made the finals of five of her six events.
Welsh-qualified Zoe Taylor, also 10, had an excellent meet, taking 10 seconds off her times in the 11/u 100m breaststroke (1:52.53) and backstroke (1:28.59).
Her sister Anne-Marie Taylor, 14, recorded best times in the 200m backstroke (2:38.33) and freestyle (2:25.69) and 100m freestyle (1:06.08).
Oli Batt, 16, swam in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and the 200m individual medley, improving his best times to make all three finals.
Zach Fillmore, 15, slashed 13 and 10 seconds respectively off his 200m and 400m freestyle times to stop the clock at 2:19.35 and 4:53.53.
For 10-year-old Ellis Mayall her times of 1:17.81 and 2:54.88 improved her previous best by 13 and five seconds.
Another 10-year-old, Lucy Kirkham, clocked two PBs and reached the finals of the 100m and 200m breaststroke.
Welsh-qualified Alice Jenkins, 14, came sixth in the 14-15yrs 200m butterfly (2:52.40).
Ferndown's junior coach Emma Hirst said: "The meet was a great experience for some of our younger swimmers and a taster for trips to come in the future.
"The team atmosphere was really strong.
"It was also an excellent competition which provided a long-course meet to finish the season and some great personal best times."
12:05pm Thursday 17th August 2006
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