Eight gold medals for Berkhamsted SC starlets at County Championships

Berkhamsted Swimming Club impressed again during the second round of Herts County Swimming Championships

A group of 32 swimmers competed in 106 races, making 29 finals and coming away with a hatful of medals alongside more than 60 PB times.

Among a host of exceptional swims, Abbie Hurst added the Junior Championship 50m breaststroke title to her 100m junior title from last weekend, and Charlotte Watson took the junior 50 back title as well.

Ellen Northwood and Amy Pemberton also got into the championship medals, with bronze in the 50 and 200 fly for Northwood, and bronze for Pemberton in the 200 free together with silver in the 50 free.

50 Breast: Tamsin Moren - PB, 5th overall; Pemberton - 7th overall, PB, regional qualifying time; Izzie Soulsby - RQT, 9th 13-year-old; Eli MacDonald - PB (37.60); Hurst - PB, 1st 15-year-old; Charlie Woodmansee - PB; Callum Bullock - PB; Ish Rahim - PB; Zac Patel - PB; Keiran Mallory - 7th overall, PB; Jordan Northwood - PB (33.73); Ollie Hurst - 9th overall, RQT; Jack Filer - 4th overall, RQT.

200 Free: Soulsby - 5th overall, RQT (2:19.88); Pemberton - PB, RQT, silver for 15-year-olds, bronze in the U16 (junior) championship; Tom Holmes-Higgin - PB; Ish Rahim - 4th 14-year-old; James Chennells - RQT (2:07.44).

50 Back: Abi Hewson - age group gold, PB (34.03); Soulsby - 4th overall, PB; Charlotte Watson - PB (32.13); Junior Championship title; 1st 15-year-old; Callum Bullock - PB; Patel - PB; Chennells- PB, qualified 7th; Mason Brand - 6th 15-year-old; Rahim - bronze medal; Chris Nel - 8th 16-year-old.

200 Breast: Moren - PB, 5th overall; Soulsby - PB, 4th overall; Keiran Mallory - PB, 7th overall; Rahim - RQT (2:55.08), PB, 6th in heat; Harry Thorne - PB (2:53.62), 5th in heat; Jordan Northwood (PB); Ollie Hurst managed to swim seven lengths despite a goggle malfunction.

50 Free: Hewson - silver medal, PB (31.29); Ellen Northwood - PB (29.73), qualified in 6th; Eli MacDonald - PB (28.69), 10th 16 and over; Pemberton - gold medal (28.77); Holmes-Higgin - PB (35.97), 12th overall; James Corner - gold medal, PB (29.18); Rahim - 4th overall (27.82); Jamie Hoyes set a recent best with 26.03.

50 Fly: Souslby - PB (33.22), qualified for final in 7th; Ellen Northwood - PB (31.21) and gold medal in Age Group 50; Yazii Brand (32.34); MacDonald (32.02) ; Euan Donald - PB (36.55); Harrison Bullock - PB; George Thorne - PB; Callum Bullock - PB; James Chennells - PB; Rahim - silver medal, PB (29.60); Patel - silver medal for 15-year-olds, PB (29.10); Mason Brand - 6th overall with PB and RQT.

200 Back: Soulsby - bronze medal, RQT (2:33.90); Hurst - PB (2:36.88); Watson (2:34.41); Rahim - bronze medal, PB, RQT (2:28.18); Callum Bullock - PB; Patel - PB; Chennells - RQT, PB (2:23.62), 5th overall.

100IM: Tamsin Moren - 7th overall (1:29.50), PB; Soulsby - 4th overall, PB (1:12.50); Pemberton - silver medal (1:10.82); Hurst - 5th overall (1:12.06); Holmes-Higgin - 10th overall, PB; George Thorne - second in heat, PB (1:19.72); Corner - PB; Callum Bullock - PB; Rahim - bronze medal, PB (1:10.24); Harry Thorne - PB; Chennells - 8th in final; Patel - 7th in final.

200 Fly: Helena Martin - second in heat, PB (3:24.65); Amelie Baker - 18s PB (3:07.99); Soulsby - PB, RQT and 6th place; Ellen Northwood - age group gold and Junior Championship bronze (2:38.82); Harrison Bullock - PB; Jordan Northwood swam bravely from the off; Rahim - 14-year-old gold, PB, RQT, 5th in the Junior Championship.

The final tally of eight golds, five silvers and four bronzes was a huge number for the youngsters, and between them they lowered 27 club records across the two days.