A team of twenty-six South Lincs swimmers headed to Luton over the weekend of the 12th and 13th March to compete at the Putteridge Open Meet.

This was an opportunity to compete long course – in a 50 metre pool – at the start of the National qualifying window and achieve ranking positions for an opportunity to be invited to National Championships in July and August. It was also an opportunity for the older swimmers to gain some valuable long course practice ahead of the British Championships and Commonwealth Games trials. For the younger swimmers, it was a chance to undertake some further long course swimming and gain valuable experience.

Frank Lamb got the South Lincs team off to a great start as he posted a new long course personal best time in the 400m Individual Medley of 5.39.33 to claim the silver medal in the boys 13 years age group. Frank went on to claim a bronze medal in the 200m Butterfly, also in a new personal best time of 2.43.57. Frank set a host of new personal best times over the weekend, but his most significant improvements came in the 100m Butterfly where he set a new standard of 1.13.98 and also in the 200m Individual Medley with a new mark of 2.42.21.

Younger sister, Kitty Lamb was in action in the girls 11 years age group. Kitty contested eight events over the weekend and collected eight medals, including six gold, one silver and one bronze. Kitty made a big improvement in her 200m Breaststroke on her way to a gold medal as she lowered her personal best time by 5.52 seconds to touch the wall in 3.27.60. Kitty also swam excellently well in her 50m and 100m Backstroke events. Kitty set new personal best times of 36.52 seconds and 1.19.38 respectively, also winning both events in her age group.

Oscar Goldsmith was on fine form over the weekend. Oscar showed himself to be the king of distance freestyle as he swept to gold medals in the 400m, 800m and 1500m events in the boys 14 years age group. Oscar’s time of 9.21.54 in the 800m Freestyle was a new Lincolnshire County record. Oscar also set another county record in the 200m Butterfly with a superb swim of 2.23.32 which saw him claim a silver medal in this event. Oscar added a further silver to his haul in the 100m Butterfly with another big new personal best time of 1.05.79. For good measure Oscar added a bronze medal in the 400m Individual Medley in yet another new best standard of 5.12.22.

Rico Bringeman swept to victory in the boys 16 years and over age group of the 200m Butterfly. Rico set the fastest time of the meet in this event, touching home in 2.08.82 which saw him lower his own county record. Rico also added a bronze medal in the 400m Individual Medley. Rico set a host of new personal best times over the weekend and two of his best performances came in the 50m and 100m Butterfly. Rico set new marks of 27.44 seconds and 59.01 seconds respectively.

Alfie Bisby had a successful weekend posting numerous personal best times in his events. Alfie made a significant drop in his 400m Freestyle time to touch the wall in a time of 4.27.75. Alfie also made a big improvement in his long course 400m Individual Medley with a best time of 5.07.44. 

Younger brother, Charlie Bisby was in action in the boys 11 years age group and collected a whopping nine medals from his nine swims. This was Charlie’s first time swimming long course and he acquitted himself admirably as he swam to the top of the podium in the 100m Butterfly, the 200m Backstroke and 200m Individual Medley. Charlie also collected five silver medals and one bronze medal over the course of the weekend.

Sigourney Bolton was in action in her preferred breaststroke events. Sigourney set a brilliant new personal best time in the 100m Breaststroke of 1.26.06, and whilst Sigourney narrowly missed out on the medals she did achieve her first Regional qualifying time in this event. Sigourney also had a strong performance in the 50m and 200m breaststroke where she posted further best times of 40.27 seconds and 3.09.39 respectively.

Mollie Briggs was in action in the distance freestyle events. Mollie swam a strong 400m Freestyle to finish just marginally outside her personal best time with a season’s best of 4.39.35. Mollie put together an excellent 1500m Freestyle to claim the bronze medal in the girls 16 years and over age group of this event in a time of 18.38.80. Mollie’s time was inside the qualifying standard for the British Championships in April where Mollie will be looking to move her time on ready for National Championships.

The older swimmers produced some strong performances over the weekend. Ellisha Cookson swam to a new personal best time and club record in the 100m Breaststroke with a time of 1.15.39. Again this was sufficient to see Ellisha dip inside the qualifying time for this event for British Championships. 

Emma Croker won a hat trick of gold medals over the weekend. Emma struck gold in the 200m Freestyle with a new personal best time of 2.05.21 in the girls 16 years and over age group. Emma also took gold in the 100m Freestyle and the 50m Butterfly and for good measure added a silver medal in the 50m Freestyle, just a few hundredths of a second away from another win.

Thomas Bruce was in excellent form over the weekend as he set six new personal best times from his six events. Thomas is transitioning to being a sprint swimmer and is making excellent progress as he improved his 50m and 100m Butterfly times with new marks of 28.40 seconds and 1.03.94 respectively. In the 50m and 100m Freestyle there were also significant drops in time as Thomas touched home in 26.35 seconds and 57.06 seconds respectively.

Matteo Monaco collected a hat trick of medals over the weekend in the boys 13 years age group. Matteo started with a bronze in the 1500m Freestyle with a new personal best time of 19.45.97. Matteo then took a silver medal in the 400m Freestyle with a superb swim of 4.55.76. Finally Matteo struck gold in the 800m Freestyle as he stormed to yet another personal best time of 10.03.89. Matteo also set a big new personal best time in a very impressive 100m Backstroke of 1.14.75.

Kieran Ng was competing in the boys 12 years age group and produced three excellent swims in his breaststroke events. Kieran struck silver in the 100m Breaststroke with a big new personal best time of 1.31.74. Kieran then followed this up with an aggressive 200m Breaststroke where he touched the wall in a new best time of 3.15.80 to claim the gold medal. Both of these swims saw Kieran achieve the qualifying times to this year’s Regional Championships.

Jess O’Herlihy also produced an outstanding swim that saw her add an additional event to her Regional Championships programme. Jess flew down the 100m Freestyle to turn very fast at the half way mark and worked like never before in the second fifty metres to touch home in a new personal best time by over two seconds of 1.03.59.

There were medals for Lucy Wilson as well, also competing in the 12 years age group. Lucy won a brace of bronze medals, her first coming in the 200m Breaststroke with a time of 3.27.52. Lucy then took on her first 100m Butterfly in a long course pool and posted a new standard of 1.23.00 to claim her second medal of the meet. Lucy’s biggest improvement came in the 100m Freestyle where she lowered her best time by more than two seconds to finish in 1.12.18.

Alex Sadler waited until his final event of the weekend to make it a podium finish. In the boys 15 years age group of the 200m Freestyle, Alex swam to a new personal best time of 2.06.79 to claim the gold medal in his age group. Alex also set a new personal best time in the 100m Freestyle of 58.44 seconds.

Alfie Robinson set new personal best times across his six events that he contested at the weekend. Alfie swam particularly well in his preferred backstroke events as he set club records across the 50m, 100m and 200m distances. Alfie posted an impressive time in the 200m Backstroke of 2.19.68 and also did the same in the 200m breaststroke in a time of 2.43.62. 

There were also personal best times for Nitesh Anbazhagan in the 50m Breaststroke with a time of 34.59 seconds. Daniela Bringeman also set a new personal best in this event of 40.52 seconds. Hannah Bruce set new standards in her favoured 200m Freestyle with a time of 2.25.18 as well as in the 100 Freestyle and the 50m Butterfly. Aidan Evans posted new personal best times in the 50m Backstroke of 36.13 seconds and took on his first ever 200m Butterfly long course to set a new standard of 3.01.72. Beatrice Finch posted new personal best times in four of her events over the weekend clocking a 2.34.76 in the 200m Individual Medley and a 2.32.33 in the 200m Backstroke. 

Lucie Lund set three new personal best times as she swam her first 200m Butterfly long course to finish in a strong time of 2.48.83. There were also new marks established in the 100m Backstroke and the 100m Butterfly of 1.16.55 and 1.14.75 respectively. Daisy Rummery posted a new personal best in the 100m Freestyle with a time of 1.02.55. Oliver Sorrell set six new personal best times with big improvements in his backstroke and achieving a regional qualifying time in the 400m Freestyle with a time of 4.38.86. 

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