Swimmers from across Suffolk travelled up to Norwich at the end of January for the start of this year’s County Championships.

The first day of competition on January 21, featuring just the 800 metre and 1,500m freestyle events, is held jointly with the Suffolk Amateur Swimming Association’s Norfolk counterparts at the University of East Anglia’s Sportspark, which has a 50m pool.

Among the teams making the journey north was a squad from Newmarket and District SC, with 11 swimmers taking to the pool over the two events.

In the 800m, swum by the girls, Maeve Pooley, Tess Wesley, Etholle Marks, Ruby Davis, Charlie Davis, Megan Cowan-Neal and Lauren Watt competed, while the boy’s 1,500m involved Joseph Bavey, Zak Baldwin, Henry Newell, Harry Saunders and Thomas Allison.

Ruby Davis started things off with an 18-second personal best and finished ninth, while Pooley recorded a 13-second PB which won her a gold medal in her age group.

Marks achieved a two-second PB and sixth place and although there was no PB for Wesley she did claim gold.

Charlie Davis finished sixth and there were three-second PBs for both Cowan-Neal and Watt, the latter claiming a bronze medal.

For the boys Zak Baldwin recorded a 49-second PB and finished fourth and Joseph Bavey had a 23 second PB which brought him bronze.

Henry Newell’s 1 minute 6 second PB also earned him a bronze medal, the same medal won by Allison with his 13-second PB, while Harry Saunders’ four-second PB brought him a ninth-placed finish in his age group.

Newmarket’s head coach Annette Skeet declared herself delighted with the performance of her swimmers.

The remainder of the County Championships takes place at Crown Pools in the centre of Ipswich during February.

The first weekend of competition at this venue was on February 4-5 with this weekend and next featuring the remainder of the races.

Currently top of the club standings, based on points won by swimmers, are Team Ipswich on 1,179. They are followed by West Suffolk, St Felix School, Newmarket and Stowmarket.