RON WALKER TROPHY GALA – NUNEATON – 23^RD SEPTEMBER

 

It was a great night for all the swimmers and parents who travelled with Redditch Swimming Club to Nuneaton for the recent Ron Walker Trophy Gala, with the team pulling out probably their best performance of the year to date.  Despite some very strong opposition - two teams from the home club (Nuneaton and Bedworth Dolphins), as well as Camphill Edwardians, Brierley Hill, Stratford Sharks, Droitwich and Fox Hollies – Redditch took a fantastic second place, finishing a mere six points behind the eventual winners, Nuneaton ‘Reds’.

 

Despite several notable absentees, Redditch achieved no fewer than 11 wins and nine second place finishes.  It was particularly satisfying to see first places going to swimmers in every age group – Charlotte Hooper and William Fidoe for the 9-year-olds, Lydia May for the 10s, Sophie Bridgman (twice) for the 11s, Michaela Britt for the 12s and both Danielle Harwood (twice) and Robert Stanley for the 13s.  There were also relay wins for the 11-year-old girls’ freestyle team (Hannah Rolls, Sam Lindsey, Lydia and Sophie) and, in a dramatic and rowdy climax to the evening, the mixed age 10 x 25 m freestyle team.  This final swim had the whole team cheering themselves hoarse as they urged the ten swimmers (Nicola Moss, Daniel Bridgman, Lydia, Taylor Hartley, Sophie, Sumant Kapoor, Lizzie Humphreys, Chris Ball, Bethany May and Robert) to a convincing victory.

 

As well as the wins detailed above, there were second places for Daniel (9), Lydia (10), Hannah (11) (twice), Lizzie (12), Robert (13), Bethany (13), and the girls’ 10 and 13-year-old relay teams; and third places for Chris, Lizzie (twice), Bethany and the girls’ 12-year-old relay team.

 

The 23 new personal best times achieved from 40 individual swims is testament to the strength of the Redditch swimmers’ fine performances.  Although it is probably unfair to highlight individual performances on a night when it was really the team effort that produced such a great result, special mention should be made of the first appearances for young Oliver Thomson and Abigail Humphreys, who both did an excellent job in their respective 9-year-old relay teams; William Fidoe’s superb win in his 25 m backstroke race; Charlotte Hooper’s great breaststroke victory; Nicola Moss’s and Dan Bridgman’s very good swims in the 9-year-old butterfly races; the two race wins, and fine new PBs, for Sophie in the fly (sub-40 sec for the first time) and freestyle; and another series of terrific performances by Lydia, Danielle and Robert.

 

Technically, the standard of our starts and relay take-overs, which have frequently let us down in the past, looked much sharper at this gala.  It was particularly pleasing, however, to see the enthusiasm that the team showed throughout the night.  Everyone, without exception was inspired to produce ever better swims for the sake of the team.  Although it was Danielle and Robert who went up to collect our trophy, we had ‘captain’s’ throughout the team on the night… and it was great to see how Gareth, Arran, Adam and Caitlin (among others) provided inspiration from poolside, as well as doing their bit in the water.  Almost every member of the team stayed until the very end – and joined the ecstatic celebrations after the final cannon relay win.

 

Hopefully, this will now strengthen the team’s confidence and provide the impetus for many more excellent results in the more serious league galas to come during the new season, beginning with the first Speedo League competition at Bromsgrove on 14^th October.

 

Chris