Deepings win 25 medals at high quality Derventio meet
27 Oct 2018
Deepings Swimming Club’s top squads came away with 25 medals from a high quality Derventio Excel Level 2 open meet in Matlock at the weekend.
The meet, which attracted swimmers from as far away as Gloucester and Redditch, was an early opportunity for many of the club’s elite swimmers to gauge their fitness levels four weeks into the new season.
Medals were won across the age groups and in all events, with the girls just shading the boys by winning 16, including a hat-trick of golds.
Kelda McKnight won six of those medals, including all three golds, as she led the way in the 17yrs/over age group. Kelda’s gold-medal performances came in the 400IM, 200m backstroke and 200m freestyle, while she also claimed silver in the 400m freestyle and two bronze medals, in the 200IM and 100IM.
Holly Leggott and Bethany Eagle-Brown both excelled in the 15/16yrs age group. Holly won silver in the 50m freestyle and a brace of backstroke bronzes, in the 50m and 100m, while Bethany took silver in the 100m freestyle and three bronze medals in the 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly.
Breaststroke specialist Lorna McGill, also in the 15/16yrs age group, touched home third in the 100m event to collect bronze. She narrowly missed the medals in the 200m breaststroke, finishing fifth in a new personal best time.
Completing the girls’ medal haul was 11-year-old Lilly Tappern who swam two personal bests to win silver in the 50m butterfly and bronze in the 100m butterfly.
Four boys were in the medals, claiming three golds, four silvers and two bronzes.
Tom Neal dominated the 17yr/over backstroke, powering his way to gold in the 50m and 100m events. He also claimed silver in the 50m butterfly.
A gold-medal-winning performance also came from Louis Metselaar, but not in his favoured breaststroke. Louis delighted the coaching team by taking gold in the 50m backstroke. He also won silver in the 50m breaststroke, bronze in the 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 100m butterfly, showing all-round talent across three strokes.
Jake Jungmann made it a Deepings’ one-two in the 50m backstroke, claiming silver behind Louis in a new personal best, while Harry Cardell added to the outstanding medal haul by winning silver in the 14yrs 200m butterfly, also in a new best time.
Lynn Chapman, Deepings Swimming Club head coach, was delighted with the performance over the weekend.
“We’re only four weeks into the season and already I have swimmers hitting personal bests and showing some excellent skills. Everyone should be proud of their performances,” she said.