Isabella takes a hat-trick of victories at Grantham Grand Prix
27 Feb 2020
Nine-year-old Isabella Reynolds had a Grantham Grand Prix to remember as she took a hat-trick of victories in the 9/10yrs age group.
She was one of four from Deepings Swimming Club to win age group races on the night, joining established county swimmers Holly Roffe, Grace Edwards and Maya Sangiorgio who took one win apiece.
Isabella started round two of the four-series Grand Prix by swimming a massive 52-second personal best to win the 200m freestyle. She followed that with further PBs and victories in the 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke, capping a perfect evening of racing.
The squad of 27 swimmers achieved an incredible 64 personal bests over 81 races. Holly Roffe was responsible for three of them in the 12yrs age group as she won the 50m butterfly, finished 2nd in the 200m freestyle and came 3rd in the 50m backstroke.
Grace Edwards won the 50m backstroke and Maya Sangiorgio swam a new PB to take first place in the 200m freestyle, both in the 11yrs category. Grace also knocked 10 seconds off her 200m freestyle time to finish fourth.
A number of younger swimmers took similarly large chunks off their personal bests in a series of fine displays of competition racing.
Ten-year-old Anabelle Kirk swim a 20-second PB in the 50m backstroke, Freya Chiva (11yrs) achieved an 11-second PB in the 200m freestyle and Finlay Smith (11yrs) hit a six-second 50m freestyle PB. Ten-year-olds Cody Watson and Oliver Shepherd achieved, respectively, seven-second and six-second PBs in the 50m breaststroke, Kendra Greenwood-Covell (12yrs) took six seconds of her 50m backstroke best and Vincent Clare (11yrs) sliced four seconds off his 50m breaststroke.
Lynn Chapman, Deepings Swimming Club head coach, was full of praise for the team.
“It was a brilliant weekend for all our young swimmers. They have been putting in some hard training and it’s paying off with a bumper crop of PBs and some excellent placings,” she said.
The Deepings squad in full at the Grantham Grand Prix: GIRLS - Isabella Reynolds, Eleanor Twinley, Phoebe Connery, Maddie Taylor, Sasha Johnson, Annabelle Kirk, Grace Edwards, Maya Sangiorgio, Freya Chiva, Isobel Vause, Jessica Godding, Isabell Money, Holly Roffe, Orla Connery and Kendra Greenwood-Covell; BOYS – James Cash, William Burdock, Cody Watson, Oliver Shepherd, Joe Black, Joshi Harriss, Lewis Tarver, Jacob Sandom, Antony Hall, Vincent Clare, Finlay Smith and Jack Bell.