LEDBURY and District Swimming Club held their third annual Club championships with numerous personal bests achieved.

The programme started with the 25-metre challenge event for the eight years and under, with medals for the top three positions for girls and boys in both the eight years and u7s. The overall trophy for this event went to Callum Berry who completed an excellent swim, finishing in 16.81 seconds.

The second event was the 100m individual medley with some superb swims from all swimmers competing. Among these Arthur Harris, Jamie Berry, James Casewell, Grace Starky, Lauren Freestone and Charlotte Hall all competed for the first time in this event, gaining valuable experience. The nine and under boys winner was Callum Berry, with Chris Malone in second and Sam Hall third, all boys gaining substantial personal best times. Not to be outdone, the nine and under girls also put in outstanding performances with Mollie-May Parsons taking a well-deserved first place with Isabella Dewe and Poppy Park respectively taking second and third. The penultimate race of the evening is also seen as one of the toughest swimming races, the 200m butterfly. Chris Malone again put in an excellent performance, completing the race for the first time and taking a well-deserved first place in the nine and under boys. Millie Park and Caitlin Adair were also competing for the first time in this event and held their strokes well to gain two very solid swims.

Danielle Fitzgerald, aged 12, swam a strong race, maintaining an excellent stroke throughout and gained a massive 19-second personal best time, scooping first place in the 11/12-year age group. While Daniel Adair stormed into a great finish taking the first place in the age group, a two second pb, and finally managing to grasp his district pb time. Lucy Stokes finished her race breaking her own club record achieved last year for the 13/14-year girls.

The final race of the evening was the much anticipated handicap race, which sees all swimmers of varying ability starting on a level grounding, with some swimmers having up to a 31-second delay on their starting time.

Ellie Butcher (44.62) and Ozzy Crosshoare (48.74) won the girls’ and boys’ races.

The next club championships gala is on Saturday, July 4.