Norton Radstock Open With Another Victory

The new Cotswold League season saw Norton Radstock Swimming Club carry on where they left off last season, with a victory by 11 points at Stroud on Saturday. In a very close and competitive match, Norton Radstock kept ahead of Cirencester thanks to an excellent last set of relays where they scored 15 out of a possible 16 points. Wellington finished third and hosts Severnside Tritons were fourth.

Tim Inns lowered his own Club Record in the 50m freestyle, whilst Sarah Britton broke the 100m backstroke club record which had stood since 1994. A further 12 Personal Best times were set as Norton Radstock won 24 of the 52 events.

The new season is a chance for new younger swimmers to take part in the team and the following were all making their debuts: Lucy Baldwin, Katie Ball, Maisie Gudmunsen for the girls team and Michael May and Jack Morgan for the boys. They all performed with great confidence and helped their relays teams to either first or second places in all their races.

Two age groups stood out for performance and consistency. The 15/under boys team of Tim Inns, Martin Lenihan, Matthew Whatley and Liam Willcox scored 27 out of a possible 28 points. The Open Girls team of Sarah Britton, Molly Barter, Lauren Glover, Alice Walker and Saskia Mead nearly matched them, scoring 25 out of a possible 28.

Jasmin Hennessy, Connie Glover, Molly Barter and Liam Willcox all had a full set of races in their own age group but also covered races in the older age groups where there were gaps. This is always a daunting task and shows the great team spirit within the club.

This was a tough first round against good quality opposition, so the club is optimistic for the rest of the league season. The next match is at Brockworth on 13th February.