| It’s official! Hemel’s 2015 Arena League team is the best the Club has ever seen, a cumulative 5 minutes faster across the three rounds than the previous record set in 2006. Both the open and 15 and under age groups were the fastest ever, and the 13 and under and 11 and under were the third fastest underlining the strength in depth across the Club. We finished fourth in the last round of the competition and fourth in the First Division overall. There were wins for the girls 13 and under medley team (Izzy Anderton, |  |
| Eleanor Bevan, Shona McKenna and Georgia Purkis), the girls open medley team (Aimee Abrey, Emily Jelfs, Lois Moore and Grace Rayner), and an individual win for Lois Moore in the 100 fly. New Club records were set by Alice Fender (50 free), Grace Rayner (200 IM), Max Jelfs (100 back and fly), Jack Spence (100 free and 100 back) and Josh Gaines (200 IM) whilst Eleanor Bevan set a new Club competition record in the 100 breast. | |
No-one could remember swimming at Becontree Heath near Dagenham before which is a modern, 10 lane, 25m pool somewhat incongruously located on the edge of a Morrison’s car park which proved a little challenging for the coach drivers! Competition was fierce as the top 8 teams in the league battled it out for the two promotion slots. For much of the night Hemel held on to second place in a battle with Harlow and Barking & Dagenham, but a late surge from Brompton saw us pushed into fourth place.
Faced with competition of this calibre it was a night for second and thirds. Tilly Beckwith (50 back), Shona McKenna (100 back), Jonny Farrow (100 back), Jack Spence (100 free) and the girls open free relay team (Aimee Abrey, Kira Doyle, Emily Jelfs, Lois Moore, Grace Rayner and Becca Sewell) all finishing second, with Grace Rayner (200 IM and 100 breast), the girls 11 and under free and medley relay team (Millie Anderton, Tilly Beckwith, Freya Beresford and Millie Herbert), the boys 13 and under medley team (Joe Coldwell, Jonny Farrow, Harrison Mills and Luke Pestaille), Aimee Abrey (100 back), Jack Spence (100 back), Mille Herbert (50 breast) and the boys open free relay team (Jack Christie, Josh Gaines, Rob Jennings, Tom Sherriff, Jack Spence and Freddie Woodcock) all finishing third.
Congratulations to everyone else who participated in this record breaking performance – Leanne Abrey, Reuben Balch, Sonny Carter, Ashley Coombs, Chris Cox, Elliott Davies, Alice Fender, Mason Mills, Harrison Newbury-Kemp, Henry Newbury-Kemp, Georgia Purkis and Minah Sherwani-Keeling.
Particular thanks to Team Manager Alan Doyle and the other members of the poolside support team – Alan Coldwell, Janet Davies, Kelsey Doyle, Monica Fender and Luke Jelfs.