SWIMMING: Rugby Swimming Club Open Meet

Spread out over three days, some 350 plus swimmers from 28 clubs, swam across 32 separate events, making up over 400 heats at the 2016 Rugby Swimming Club Open Meet, on April 15-17.

Swimmers came from as far away as Folkestone SC, who brought a team of five, along with a national level ref, who simply calls the Open: “The best meet I ever attend, in terms of a mixture of serious competition, organisation and fun.”

There was some superb racing, with excellent times being posted, Elinor Bird, 17 from Stratford, smashing the field in just about every event over eight lengths or more, including her specialist event of 200m breaststroke, where she won by a clear 10 seconds in 2.28.35. There were some equally impressive performances in the male events, with Club Captain Tom Parker going head to head with a number of different foes in the longer events, unusually not always coming out on top, but still winning a personal medal haul of 4 golds and 3 silvers.

As always this event couldn’t go ahead without the committee, officials, and volunteers, and with a new influx of swimmers into the club, we also have some new faces helping which is always great. Special thanks to Jon Seaton, the promoter, who spent pretty much the entire weekend in the “bat cave” storage cupboard by the pool inputting every time into the systems. The swimmers are starting to appreciate the lengths that the organisers go to, to ensure all their training efforts are worthwhile. Also a massive thank you to the QDJC staff, who put up with the whole jamboree, and go far beyond the call of duty.

It is very difficult to ensure all those who deserve a mention get one, but I will try. The list of those winning medals is at the end of the report, but there were also some worthy of mention who didn’t win a medal. One measure of success at these type of events is the number of personal best times a swimmer achieves, so congratulations to Luie Gilroy, Dan Carey, Matt Seaton, Harriet Troupe, Ceri House, Erin Lloyd, Jasmine Rigg, who all secured 7 pbs.

Toby Rigg, Megan Williams, and Lana Reese Wilson Shrubb, who all claimed 8, surpassed by the fantastically named Mackenzie Patchett-Smyth with 9, only to be outdone by his sister Maya, who managed an incredible 10 pbs out of 10 races. Including swimming the entire 200m freestyle with no goggles as they came off at the start, and still swam, 2.34.86.

This leads me onto another positive, unfortunately Maya was understandably upset by this experience, but the team took care of her, all without any prompting, and this was true on a number of occasions across the weekend. Indeed I received several congratulatory and grateful emails from swimmers parents not only from Rugby but other clubs as well, so well done to all those involved. This was coupled with great team spirit, as the home club, Rugby had the most swimmers and supporters, and I don’t think a single Rugby swimmer swam their event without the “Rugby Roar” behind them, and a posse of other swimmers at the end of the lane.

In terms of medals some of the usual suspects, were joined by some new names and faces, as well as not so new. New to the medals included Ben Jones, Harriet Troup, Lana-Rees, Erin, George Jarman, James Armeson, and Tom Tyler. Slightly older, Karen Bates and Rachel Lloyd kept the teenage girls on their toes, and Club president Ross Turner blew the field away in the 50m free, with a superb 25.16secs. Others moved up the club’s all-time rankings, Ellen Armeson, Megan, Gleb Popov, Maddie Heywood, Jasmine, Tom P, Rachel, all into the top 10, top 5 and even top spot.

By Chairman Simon Rigg

SESSION 1

Girls 400m FR

15yrs over - Silver - Megan Williams

Boys 50m BC

11/12yrs - Gold - Daniel Carey / Bronze - Luie Gilroy

13/14yrs - Gold - Matthew Seaton / Silver - Jack Carey

15yrs over Gold - Gleb Popov

Girls 50m BC

9yrs over - Gold - Harriet Troup

11/12yrs - Bronze - Lana-Reese Wilson Shrubb

13/14yrs - Silver - Ellen Armeson

15yrs over - Gold - Maddie Haywood / Silver - Karen Bates

Boys 50m BR

9yrs over - Silver - James Armeson

11/12yrs - Bronze - Luie Gilroy

13/14yrs - Silver - Luke Anspoks

15yrs over - Silver - Simon Rigg

SESSION 2

Boys 200 BR

13/14yrs - Silver - Ben Jones

15yrs over - Gold - Tom Parker

Girls 100 FC

9yrs over - Silver - Erin Lloyd

13/14yrs - Bronze - Ellen Armeson

15yrs over - Silver - Megan Williams

Boys 100 FC

11/12yrs - Silver - Luie Gilroy

13/14yrs - Gold - Jack Carey

15yrs over - Gold - Tom Parker / Silver - Gleb Popov

Girls 100m IM

9yrs over - Silver - Harriet Troup

Boys 100m IM

11/12yrs - Gold - Luie Gilroy

15yrs over - Gold - George Jarman

Girls 50m BR

13/14yrs - Bronze - Eva Rath-Juanola

SESSION 3

Boys 200 BC

13/14yrs - Silver - Matthew Seaton

15yrs over - Gold - Tom Parker

Girls 200 BC

9yrs over - Gold - Harriet Troup / Bronze - Erin Lloyd

11/12yrs - Silver - Jessica Mckenzie

13/14yrs - Gold - Ellen Armeson

15yrs over - Silver - Maddie Haywood / Bronze - Megan Williams

Boys 50m FLY

11/12yrs - Gold - Daniel Carey / Bronze - Max Green

13/14yrs - Gold - Jack Carey / Bronze - Matthew Seaton

15yrs over - Gold - Gleb Popov / Bronze - George Jarman

Girls 50m FLY

13/14yrs - Bronze - Aoife Williams

15yrs over - Bronze - Rachel Lloyd

Boys 200m IM

15yrs over - Silver - Tom Parker

Girls 200m IM

11/12yrs - Bronze - Jessica Mckenzie

15yrs - Silver - Maddie Haywood / Bronze - Megan Williams

SESSION 4

Girls 200m FLY

15yrs over - Silver - Karen Bates

Girls 100m BC

9yrs over - Gold - Harriet Troup / Bronze - Erin Lloyd

13/14yrs - Gold - Ellen Armeson

15yrs over - Gold - Maddie Haywood

Boys 100m BC

11/12yrs - Gold - Daniel Carey

13/14yrs - Bronze - Matthew Seaton

Girls 50m FC

9yrs over- Silver - Erin Lloyd

15yrs over - Silver - Rachel Lloyd

Boys 50m FC

11/12yrs - Silver - Luie Gilroy / Bronze - Daniel Carey

13/14 yrs - Gold - Jack Carey / Bronze - Matthew Seaton

15yrs over - Gold - Ross Turner / Bronze - Simon Rigg

Boys 100m BR

9yrs over - Silver - James Armeson

11/12yrs - Bronze - Luie Gilroy

13/14yrs - Silver - Luke Anspoks

15yrs over - Gold - Tom Parker

SESSION 5

Girls 200m FC

15yrs over - Gold - Maddie Haywood / Silver - Megan Williams

Boys 200m FC

13/14yrs - Gold - Jack Carey / Bronze - Matthew Seaton

15yrs over - Silver - Tom Parker

Girls 100m FLY

15yrs over - Silver - Megan Williams / Bronze - Rachel Lloyd

Boys 100m FLY

11/12yrs - Bronze - Daniel Carey

13/14yrs - Silver - Jack Carey / Bronze - Matthew Seaton

15yrs over - Silver - Gleb Popov / Bronze - Ethan Fletcher

Boys 100m IM

15yrs over - Silver - Tom Parker