The second weekend of competition at the Amateur Swimming Association’s East Region Championships took place in Luton over the second May bank holiday weekend with a number of Suffolk teams involved.
Following a strong first weekend, Team Ipswich took a squad to the event for the 11/12 through to 14-years-old age groups. For these swimmers it was their last opportunity to post times to qualify for the summer national championships at the beginning of August.
The medal tally started early on the first day with a bronze in the 400 metres freestyle for Joe Cooper in the 11-12-year-olds age group.
Many swimmers got through to the finals in the last session of the day which saw Amie Philpot come away with two golds in the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle.
Annabelle Burgess also struck gold in the 13-year-old’s 100m freestyle.
Emma Cruickshank and Sam Perkins picked up silver medals in the same session while Mia Maspers and Safia Button both got bronze medals in their 100m freestyle final. Perkins also won bronze in the 400m individual medley.
The second day saw Button take a silver medal in the heat declared winner 400m freestyle in the first session and Joe Cooper grab second place in his 200m breaststroke.
There was a gold for Perkins over the same distance in breaststroke, a silver for Elliott Day in his 50m butterfly and golds for Cruickshank, Philpot and Maspers in the 50m butterfly, 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle respectively.
Philpot also struck gold in the 100m backstroke.
In the final day’s long distance events William Pestell took 30 seconds of his 1500m freestyle personal best to finish fourth.
The next session saw nine swimmers make it through to finals in the evening.
Philpot won the 100m butterfly and the 50m backstroke, Button took silver in the 50m backstroke and bronze in the 200m freestyle, Cruickshank won silver in the 50m backstroke and Annabelle Burgess won gold in the 200m freestyle.
On the boys’ side Day took home bronze from the 100m butterfly, Joe Cooper won silver in the 200m freestyle and Perkins also got a medal of the same colour.
Head coach Dave Champion said: “It was an outstanding performance from an amazing group of up-and-coming swimmers.
“The whole club is rightly proud of every single one of them.”
Team Ipswich finished with 10 gold medals, 10 silvers and six bronzes.
Amie Philpot also picked up the top girl trophy.
Newmarket and District Swim Club were also strongly represented at the meet on May 28 and 29.
Henry Newell won gold in the 50m and 100m freestyle and followed these performances up with gold in the 200m backstroke as well.
In an outstanding individual weekend he also won silver in the 400m freestyle and bronze in the 100m backstroke and 1500m freestyle.
Tess Wesley gained a bronze for her 400m freestyle and managed to get into the 100m and 200m freestyle finals.
Joseph Bavey took home a silver medal from the 100m backstroke final and a bronze from the 200m final for the same stroke.
Coach Annette Skeet was delighted with the performances over the weekend and also thanked the parents, officials and support of fellow team members at the event.
She said: “As a club we came 10th on the medal table above clubs like Luton, Basildon and Cambridge.”
Lowestoft and Oulton Broad took eight swimmers to the championships over both its May weekends.
The earlier meet had been for 15 to 18-year-olds, when Katie Lines and Sarah Bowen both competed.
The second weekend saw Julianna Mercado, Imogen Block, Harry Garner, Brandon Riley, Harry Swann and Alive Newnham-Stebbings racing.
Swann, aged 12, picked up two silver medals from the 50m and 100m breaststroke finals.
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