More swimming success for Team Ipswich

Stuart Watson

TEAM Ipswich's record-breaking season gathered pace at the East Region British Age Group Categories Championships in Norwich with the Suffolk club sealing yet another overall title.

Fresh from an outstanding performance at the Regional Youth Championships and best-ever third place finish at the National Speedo League final, 30 of the club's age group swimmers did not disappoint their loyal supporters at the University of East Anglia.

In a scintillating display of swimming, Ipswich claimed 24 gold medals, 16 silvers and 12 bronzes, while, as a team, they claimed a total of 14 Championship best times.

“I said at the beginning of the meet that we had some great young swimmers who loved to train and really enjoyed racing,” said Ipswich head coach Dave Champion.

“Add to that some great coaches on poolside then this is the result that you get.

“We have 21 individual swimmers heading off to the National Championships this summer with a host of relay teams going as well, so it's our biggest team ever and hopefully one of our most successful.

“Everyone at the club can take a piece of the credit as we could not get these results without the massive support that we enjoy at home.”

The first weekend of the Championships opened with the boys' 400m freestyle in which Jake Tyson secured his club's first gold medal in the 10 years age group a new Championship best time of 5.03.15.

Tyson was closely followed by team mate Philip Dowding-Young who took the silver medal in 5.04.09.

The 14 years age group winner and overall champion was Ipswich's Jack Hollis, who also set a new championship best time of 4.21.10 on his way to the gold medal.

The girls were not to be outdone though, Bethany Catchpole swimming a great 200m breaststroke to finish third in the 12 years age group (3.00.46), while Heather Rodwell secured yet another gold medal for Ipswich when dominating the 13 years 200m breaststroke (2.44.99).

The boys' 11/14 years 400m freestyle relay was next on the programme, with the Ipswich team of Hollis, Elliot Cook, Aaron Lynch and George Bartle romping to the gold medal in yet another new championship best time with a margin of some 13 seconds over the second place team.

The girls' 200m backstroke saw Rose Cross earn a silver medal with a strong last 50m to set a time of 2.37.22, before Tyson and Dowding-Young were at it again in the boys' 10 years 200m freestyle.

Tyson set a new championship best time in the heats, while Dowding-Young dug deep in the final to secure the gold medal in 2.23.69, with Tyson having to settle for the silver (2.24.10).

Lynch then showed the pedigree that he is hoping will take him to glory at the forthcoming National Championships when winning the boys' 14 years 200m freestyle in yet another new championship best time of 2.04.08, with team mate Hollis safely clear in second place (2.06.29).

Ellen Oxbrow set a best time of some two seconds to secure the bronze medal in the 12 years 100m butterfly (1.11.88), while Rodwell was in action again to win the silver medal in the girls' 13 years 400m individual medley in 5.16.10.

The second day saw the boys in action again, this time in the 200m IM with 10 year old Dowding-Young grabbing the gold medal in a time of 2.44.28.

Meanwhile, Lynch and Hollis took care of the leading medal positions in the 14 years age group, Lynch winning the gold (2.20.60), while Hollis secured silver (2.21.70).

The girls' 100m breaststroke saw Rodwell just miss out on the win in a time of 1.19.35.

In the boys' 11/14 years 800m freestyle relay, Ipswich's team of Hollis, Cook, Lynch and Ryan Tomkins won the gold medal in another championship best time.

Meanwhile, the girls' 11/13 years 400m freestyle team of Rodwell, Oxbrow, Cross and Gemma Bartle swam an outstanding race to land a well earned silver medal.

Back in the individual events, the 100m backstroke saw Dowding-Young nail the gold medal in another championship best time of 1.17.08, while Jake Tyson had to settle for the bronze medal in a time of 1.19.52.

The 12 years event saw Kilian Korth finish in second place with a time of 1.11.09, while Cook was the gold medal winner in a great time of 1.06.43.

The last event of the first weekend saw the boys take on the 100m freestyle, with Tyson winning the gold in the 10 years event with another championship best time of 1.07.22, while Dowding-Young was the silver medal winner in 1.08.08.

Korth won himself another silver medal in the 12 years race with a time of 1.04.85, while George Bartle was the bronze medal winner in the 14 years battle with a time of 58.49.

The winner however, in yet another championship best time, was Lynch in a blistering time of 55.48 to give Team Ipswich the top position in the medal table at the half way point.

A STORMING performance in the second round of the BAGCAT Championships not only sealed the overall title for Team Ipswich but confirmed a number of the club's swimmers as real prospects for the future.

The second weekend started in much the same way as the first did for the Suffolk club, with 14 year old Aaron Lynch securing yet another gold medal in the 200m breaststroke (2.42.39).

Lynch also went on to win the 100m breaststroke in a time of 1.11.44, while Heather Rodwell finished in the silver medal position in the 13 years 400m freestyle in a time of 4.34.20.

Rodwell then went on to storm to the gold medal in the 1500m freestyle in a great new best time of 18.20.35 to complete an outstanding series of events.

The boys' 200m backstroke proved another great opportunity for 10-year-old Philip Dowding-Young and Jake Tyson to show their credentials, the former finishing first (2.41.79), while Tyson snatched bronze (2.47.37).

Kilian Korth picked up a well earned bronze medal in the 12 years age group with a time of 2.33.94, while Rodwell secured yet another silver medal in the girls' 13 years 200m freestyle (2.11.78).

The boys' 100m butterfly saw Tyson win the gold medal in a championship best time of 1.17.62, while Korth was a silver medal winner in the 12 years age group in 1.12.68.

The boys' 10 years 400m IM was saw another best time of 5.47.25 for Dowding-Young on his way to the gold medal, while Tyson finished second in 5.56.86.

The girls' 200m IM once again saw Rodwell add to her collection of silver medals with a time of 2.30.70.

The girls' 12 years 100m backstroke was a perfect opportunity for Rose Cross to show what she can do as she powered to the win in a time of 1.11.21, while team mate Gemma Bartle swam a great race to finish in third place with a new national qualifying time of 1.12.45.

The boys' 200m butterfly was another great event for Ipswich, with Tyson picking up another gold and a championship best time of 2.49.69, while Charlie Smith was second in the boys' 12 years age group in 2.39.25.

Hollis just couldn't hold onto the win and had to settle for second place in the boys' 14 years event in a time of 2.19.65.

The girls' 100m freestyle not only saw 12-year-old Ellen Oxbrow finish in third spot with a new national qualifying time of 1.03.71, but also saw Rodwell cause the upset of the weekend by winning the gold in the 13 years age group in a time of 1.01.31.

With only three relays over the weekend, the pressure for the Ipswich-based club to medal in every one of the races was growing.

The girls' 800m freestyle team did not disappoint, with Rodwell, Bethany Catchpole, Louisa Emery and Karla Hutchinson securing a well earned bronze medal.

The boys' medley team of Elliot Cook, Lynch, Hollis and George Bartle made it three golds and three championship best times for them, while the girls' medley team of Cross, Rodwell, Oxbrow and Bartle stormed into the gold medal position to seal the win.