25 Apr 2022

Deepings Swimming Club put down a marker at the start of its long course season, as 11 swimmers brought home medals from the Corby Amateur Swimming Club open meet.

Competing against a high-class field, Deepings came away with 29 medals - six gold, eight silver and 15 bronze – with all members of the 38-strong team, some of whom were racing in a 50-metre pool for the first time, achieving personal bests and showing outstanding skills.

Making his debut in a long course pool, nine-year-old Ashton claimed six medals and smashed six Deepings long course club records, all while racing against older boys in the 10/11yrs age group.

In his first ever 100m butterfly race, Ashton won gold in an impressive 1:38.78, almost six seconds ahead of his nearest rival. A second gold was clinched in the 100m backstroke, followed by a silver in the 100m freestyle. He set new 9yrs age category club records in all three.

Showing his versatility across all four strokes, Ashton won a trio of bronzes in the 200m individual medley, 50m backstroke (both new club records) and 50m freestyle, and set his sixth club record in the 50m butterfly to cap an excellent weekend.

His sister, Sadie, proved the swimming gene is strong in the Hunter household with three medals of her own, including gold in the 200m butterfly - setting a new Deepings long course club record in the process – plus silver in the 200m backstroke and bronze in the 100m backstroke. All were swum in new long course personal bests.

Adding five medals to the Deepings collection was Jacob Briers.

Competing in the 14 years age group, Jacob doubled up in the middle-distance events with gold in both the 400m individual medley and 400m freestyle, the latter in an excellent PB of 5:06.42. He took his third gold in the 200m butterfly and added a pair of breaststroke bronzes in the 100m and 200m.

Millie Herrick achieved the unusual feat of medalling in all four freestyle events in the 15yrs age group, with silver in the 50m sprint and 400m mid-distance events, plus bronze in the 100m and 200m.

Deepings Club Captain Harry Cardell was his usual model of consistency, picking up a 16/O age group silver in the 200m individual medley plus bronze in the 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle. He set new long course PBs in both 200m events.

More butterfly glory was to follow across the age groups, as the club exhibited its improving depth of quality since moving home to Stamford Endowed Schools at the start of the year.

Kendra Greenwood-Covell set a new PB to win silver in the 14yrs 200m butterfly, while long-course debutants Jack Bell (silver – 13yrs 100m butterfly), Chloe Bellis (bronze – 11yrs 50m butterfly) and Lucy Jenkinson (bronze – 10/11yrs 100m butterfly) had exceptional races to claim their medals.

Another long-course debutant, James Cash, enjoyed a memorable weekend, bagging three medals in the 12yrs age group. In a fiercely fought race, he just out-touched a rival swimmer to take silver in the 50m backstroke, before adding a brace of bronzes in the 200m individual medley and 200m freestyle.

Penny Baxter completed the medal haul with a fine bronze in the 16/O 200m breaststroke.

Lynn Chapman, Deepings Swimming Club head coach, was delighted with the performances in the club’s first long-course competition for eight months.

“We had a lot of swimmers who haven’t competed in a 50-metre pool before but none of them were overawed by the occasion,” she said.

“Everyone has improved their skills since the start of the season, and they are now benefiting from the hard work in training. I was particularly pleased by the excellent team spirit on poolside, with swimmers cheering each other on and supporting each other.”

Also putting in excellent performances over the weekend were: Emma Affleck, Orla Bailey, Sophie Baskeyfield, Joe Black, William and Thomas Burdock, Florence Carlson, Bailey and Eydee Chilvers, Vincent Clare, Jack and Hannah Cradock, Lottie Flatters, Sam O’Hanlon, Grace Hurn, Charlotte Jenkinson, Olivia King, Olivia Laud, Mieke McDonald, Jemma and Sam Munro, Isabella Reynolds, Oliver Shepherd, Lewis Tarver, Eleanor Twinley and Isobel Vause.

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