The team from St John the Evangelist Primary School in Clevedon took the gala championship crown.

Clevedon youngsters shine at final event of the season

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FOR the final open meet of the season 46 swimmers from Clevedon Amateur Swimming Club, competed in the Taunton Deane event at Hutton Moor, amassing an incredible 84 personal best times between them.

Thomas Appleford, Kirsty Cornish, Elena Crossan, Georgia Houston, Ben Penhale, Tabitha Pollard, Joe Turner and Nathan Turner finished their season on a high, all having improved on their previous times in some events by over 10 seconds.

The club has had one of its best seasons to date and was in contention for the top visiting club for most of the meet, with top three finishes from Nick Bray (two bronze), Amelia Chappell (three gold, two bronze), Elena Crossan (one bronze), Megan Finnie (one bronze) and George Leaman (one silver).

But it was the senior club captains who really amassed the points with Sam Thomas bagging one gold, four silver and one bronze from his eight events and Lizzie Warnes picking up three gold and four silvers, medalling in each event she entered.

In the relay events, Clevedon’s 13 & over boys medley and freestyle teams of Sam Knowlton, Chris Burnett, Sam Thomas, Nick Bray and Callum Greenwood took silver in both events. For the girls 13 & over freestyle, Clevedon swimmers Elena Crossan, Megan Finnie and Erika Mason were joined by a swimmer from Taunton Deane due to a last minute injury, and combined well to pick up a bronze medal.

A highlight of the event was an exhibition swim from visiting Libyan Olympic swimmer Sofyan Elgidi who is currently training at Bath University in preparation for London 2012.

Wanting to give him some competition for the 100m freestyle event, the organisers asked for volunteers to swim the event with him and Sam Thomas eagerly grasped the opportunity, together with Joe Marsh, from Taunton Deane. With Joe and Sofyan swimming butterfly and Sam front crawl, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience and kept in touch with both Joe and Sofyan for the entire 100 metres, touching just over one second behind the Olympic swimmer.

With one more team competition before the club closes for a summer break, four swimmers from CASC will be making the journey to Sheffield’s Ponds Forge for the ASA National Championships.

In the youth championships, Steph Reynolds will be contesting for individual medals in the 200m, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke and 50m freestyle and will be joined by Lizzie Warnes to be part of the network relay team.

The following week Amelia Chappell will compete at her first Nationals in the age group championships. She has qualified for five events – the 100m and 200m backstroke, 100m and 200m butterfly and the 200 freestyle. Gwillym Watkins will be joining Amelia in Sheffield as they also compete in the network relay team.

The club is currently looking to recruit new swimmers for the 2012/13 season. For more details visit www.clevedonasc.co.uk

* The annual primary schools swimming gala hosted by Clevedon Amateur Swimming Club was held at Strode Leisure Centre.

Primary schools from the local area are invited to enter teams for the gala, which includes the presentation of the Bailey Memorial Shield, which this year was handed over for the 25th time.

The club received the highest number of entries in the event’s history, welcoming 10 teams - All Saints East Clevedon Primary, Yeo Moor Primary, Mary Elton Primary, St John the Evangelist Primary, St Joseph’s Primary, Portishead Primary, Tickenham Primary, Yatton Junior, High Down Junior and St Peter’s Primary. This created two heats of relay competition.

The event also included two fun events - a caterpillar relay and water polo relay, to give all the children a great experience.

Eventually the team from St John the Evangelist Primary School were pronounced winners of the Bailey Memorial Shield.

A special alumni race to celebrate the 25 years saw ex-pupils and swimmers reunited in competition, originally from four local primary schools, with the team from St Nicholas Chantry being the victors.

* Athletes of all ages and abilities gathered at the Salthouse Fields for the annual Marine Lake Aquathlon.

The event, organised by Jenny Ellis on behalf of MARLENS and Clevedon Amateur Swimming Club, attracted 34 competitors both novice and experienced.

The course comprises a swim of 400 metres in Marine Lake, followed by a 3k run around Salthouse Fields along the promenade to the pier and back, and a final burst back around Salthouse Fields before the finish line. Athletes could complete the course over one or two laps or enter as a team, with one swimming and the other running.

Presentations took place after the event with each competitor awarded with a certificate recording their time and the winner of each category receiving a medal. These were presented by Linda Knott, a local councillor and president of MARLENS, and Mark Jones, representing sponsors RG Rawlings Funeral Directors.

Fastest over the line encompassing all categories for the one lap competitors was Ian Giles in a time of 18:11 and for the two laps the overall winner was Lizzie Warnes in a time of 36:35.