Nearly 90 swimmers from Hemel Hempstead Swimming Club were in action in pools across Hertfordshire on Saturday 21st April 2012 in the first round of the Herts Swimming League’s Peanuts Competition for swimmers aged 9 to 13 years.
Blue team travelled to Hitchin to compete in Division 1, finishing second to Stevenage in a very tight and hard fought competition. Individual wins came from Isabella Anderton, Eleanor Bevan, sisters Sian and Megan Pirrie, Harrison Mills and Ashley Coombs. In the relays the Girls’ 9 years 4 x 25m Freestyle team of Amber Stratford, Sian Pirrie, Lois Emery and Isabelle Anderton were victorious as was the Boys’ U11 4 x 25m Medley team of Ashley Coombs, Edward Shaw, Sam Gaines and Harrison Mills. The U13 Boys’ 4 x 25m Medley team of Samuel Hutchings, Thushi Kumarage, Ben Garratt and Joe Prior 4 x 2l also won their races. Swimmers of the Gala were Amber Stratford and Sam Gaines.
In division 2 Red Team came fourth in a competition which included a number of other Clubs’ ‘A’ teams. In an exciting evening’s swimming, first places came from Jonny Farrow and Rebecca Sewell in their individual fly and front crawl events. Wins also came from Jasmine Coe, Holly Talland, Holly Carter and Rebecca Sewell in the U11 Girls’ 4 x 25m Freestyle and from the Boys’ U11 4 x 25m Freestyle team of Jonny Farrow, Jake Smith, Ben Hubbard and Tyler O’Brien. Swimmers of the Gala were Rebecca Sewell and Mattias Morse. Red team gained 44 Personal Best times – a testament to the enthusiasm and commitment shown by all the swimmers.
At Borehamwood White team competed in the third division against very tough competition from other clubs’ first teams with a much reduced number of swimmers. As a result a number of swimmers swam numerous races and swam under and over their own age groups. The U11 Girls’ 4 x 25m Freestyle team of Lesley Porter, Jessie Lowe, Lucy Munro and Emily Kilbane provided the only first place of the night but good performances came from, amongst others, Sharone Kallinga, Harrison Newbury-Kemp, Teddy Western and Tom Cole. Team Manager Lorraine Herlock commented on how proud she was of all her swimmers’ gutsy performances. Emily Kilbane and Kiran Brevern were swimmers of the gala.
Head Coach Alan Doyle said “Hemel Hempstead is the only swimming club to enter teams in all three divisions of the Peanuts League. I think this demonstrates how important we feel it is to give all swimmers at all levels the opportunity to swim for their club and of course none of this would be possible without the help and commitment of parents who give up their time to organise our teams and support our swimmers. I’m really pleased with our results so far and the fact that swimmers gained 112 Personal Best times is just reward for all their hard work.”
The weekend was rounded off in grand style when a number of our swimmers swam at the Luton Open at Watford where 12 year old Megan Pirrie gained her seventh and eighth Regional Times in the 200m Backstroke (third place) and 100m Freestyle, Ben Garratt gained his sixth Regional Time in the 400m Freestyle and Tom King PB’d in all his events.
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Peanuts Division 2 Team