Eighteen of Hemel’s younger swimmers attended the Bracknell Spring Open in the 50m pool at the Aldershot army barracks and were rewarded with 13 gold medals, 7 other top three placings, and 7 new age group records with one record broken by no fewer than three people.
Izzy Anderton (12) won five golds in the 50, 100 and 200 back and the 50 and 200 free as well as setting new age group records in the 50 back and 50 fly. Luke Pestaille (11) won three golds in the 50 back, 50 breast and 50 fly and set a new age group record in the 50 back. Jonny Farrow won golds in the 100 and 200 back, silver in the 50 back, where he was an agonizing three hundredths of a second outisde a regional qualifying time, and bronze in the 50 free. He also set age group records in the 100 back and the 50 back, with the previous 50 back record also broken on the day by Cameron Clark and Ashley Coombs.
Joe Coldwell won golds in the 50 and 200 breast, and silvers in the 100 breast and 200 IM. Charlotte Hingston won a gold in the 200 back and a silver in the 50 back. Freya Beresford and Ashley Coombs both won bronze in the 50 back.
Millie Anderton (10) broke her sister’s 50 fly record which was also broken on the day by Millie Herbert, and Olivia Gill (12) set a new 50 breast record.
The other swimmers at the meet were Elizabeth Acres, Natasha Acres, Tilly Beckwith, Lewis Clark, Mabel Coldwell, Rayne Marsh and Sam Ward, all of whom set multiple new long course PBs or swam events in a 50m pool for the first time.