There were 5 first places and 14 other top finishes for Hemel swimmers at the Bishops Stortford SC End of Season Long Course Meet held at Luton. Two open Club long course records were set and with a number of the younger swimmers competing in their first long course event a remarkable 17 age group records were either set for the first time or broken. Despite being generally harder to improve times in a 50m pool, no fewer than 57 personal best times were set (based on conversions from short course times) in 126 swims.
Holly Robinson (9) in her first 50m pool competition won golds in the 200IM, 50 free and 50 breast and a silver in the 50 back. She also broke age group records in the 50 free, back and breast as well setting a first time record in the 200IM. Holly’s clean sweep of the 50m records was only prevented by Grace Cawley, also swimming in her first 50m competition, who took the 50 fly as well as winning silver in the 50 fly and 50 breast.
Georgia Purkis (13) won golds in the 50 and 100 breast breaking the existing record in the 50 breast and the 200 free. Alice Fender (14) broke the existing Club record in winning gold in the 200IM and the existing 100 free record in winning silver in the 100 free, whilst Minah Sherwani-Keeling (14) broke the existing 50 fly record. Mille Herbert (10) took silver in the 50 breast, breaking the previous record, and went on to set an impressive 20 second PB in the 200 free.
Henry Newbury-Kemp, Daniel Keates and Nathan Whiting, all 10 and swimming in their first 50m competitions set first time club records in the 50 free, 50 back and 50 fly respectively. Joe Coldwell (12) broke the existing 50 back record in addition to winning bronze in the 200 free with an impressive 15 second PB. Jonny Farrow (13) extended the 50 back record he already held winning bronze in the 50 and 100 back. Ashley Coombs won silver in the 100 free and bronze in the 50 free, and Harrison Newbury-Kemp (14) broke the existing 50 free record.
Finally Jack Spence won two silvers and set two new open records in the 50 and 100 back, whilst Head Coach Justin Langford won silver in the 50 fly in a thrilling head to head with Bishops Stortford Head Coach John Sargent.
There were also PB’s of over 10 seconds by Elliot Davies and Manas Kubal in the 200IM and Mattias Morse in the 200 free.