ASA Midland Youth Championships 2007.

The 3 day May Bank holiday weekend saw the Youth swimmers (old folk!) in action at Coventry. Saturday saw Phill Harrington in action in the 200m BRST and the 200IM. In the heats Phil cruised into the final with a 2 second PB in third place, 4 heats later with no time to draw breath or change fastskin suits! he was back in the 200IM; this again was a great swim for him gaining another massive PB.

Staying with Breaststroke Charlotte Rowbotham was in the 200 also. She had a fantastic swim driving from the start to gain another PB and entry also into a regional championship final – her very first very well done Charlotte. Matt Hooper was also in action in the 100m BK, with a very powerful first 50m and finishing just outside his PB also gaining entry into the regional championship final! Becky Evans was also in action in the 200m FC, she swam very well finishing in a PB.

In the final session to day 1, Charlotte was up first, she challenged the field well throughout the swim turning 5^th after 100m but being touched out on the finish moving into 8^th, just outside the time she set in the heats. Next was Phil also in 200m Breast. Once again with a powerful first 100 he has up there with them and driving harder in the back 100 splitting faster than this morning he was just outside the medal positions in 4^th place, but finishing with a PB swimming 1 second faster than this morning. Finally was Matt Hooper who made up 50% of the backstroke final sprinting a hard and fast 1^st 50m giving him a PB and finished in 2^nd place!

Day two saw more fantastic swims from the Stourbridge swimmers, Phil Harrington was first to take to the pool in the 100m Breast, swimming a good race seeing him into a regional championship final again! Sarah Pearson was 1^st to splash and dash in the 50m FC and dash she did recording a fast 25m split and 50m time gaining a PB. Being in the lower of the combined age groups Sarah missed out on the final. Then the boys 50m FC, Phil’s turn to splash and dash again resulted in a good time and a PB. Harry was next, with a very good swim just outside his PB, which he set last week, but gaining him entry into the regional championship final. Matt was next up, for his favourite distance event! A solid swim saw him also record a good time and entry into the final, but at least this time he will have more than one friend!! Stephen Nock had his 1^st regional swim the 800m FC. He gave it 110% from the start once more setting some very impressive splits and resulting in a good PB. Well done it’s a hard event long course!

The finals saw Phil 1^st in the 100m BRST; he completed a great swim achieving another PB (beating the time he only set only last week! – which for someone long in the tooth is rather impressive!). And then to the 50’s Harry up first with another strong swim just hundredths outside his heat swim, and Matt the same.

The final day saw our swimmers in the freestyle events. Phil, Harry and Matt where up 1^st in the 100m FC. Phil had another great swim, gets a very good 50m split and powering back up the pool for another PB! Harry was next and with his national time in the bag from November it was for time only. After a storming 50m recording a time actually faster than his 50m FC time yesterday. His 2^nd half was as good as the first smashing his PB getting him further into the national time recording 55.68 and third fastest into the final. Matt also had a good swim, but just missing his PB but seeing him through into the final. Sarah was also up in the 100m FC. She had a fantastic 1^st 50m and looked very powerful throughout gaining yet another PB.

The Youth Championships was a great success for the swimmers and the club, with all gaining personal best times and a record number of regional championship final placing’s.  Well done to all the swimmers, as they hand over to the BAGCAT swimmers who take to Coventry in June..