Sixteen swimmers achieved the challenging qualification times required to compete at the Swim England East Region Short Course Championships held at Basildon Sporting Village between 1st and 3rd November.

Unlike the long course summer championships, this event in the 25m pool, has one fixed qualification time for each event regardless of the competitors age. It is therefore much more difficult for younger swimmers to meet the requirements.

Between them the athletes achieved 33 personal best times, alongside some fantastic relay team results.

Nathan Wells (21yrs) took top honours for the club, with a hat trick of silver medals in the 100m 200m and 400m individual medleys (IM), alsotaking silver in the 100m and 200m backstroke and bronze in 50m backstroke and 400m freestyle. His 100m backstroke time of 56.55 was an all-time Norfolk senior county record.

Freddie Laws (16yrs) notched up a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke final, in an all time Norfolk county junior and senior record time of 2.19.09

Linked swimmer Sam Rose (16yrs) also scored an all time Norfolk junior record time in the 100m freestyle, in 52.83 seconds.

The WNSC men’s 4 x 50m medley relay team of Nathan Wells, Freddie Laws, Luke Bryan and Oliver Kenny finished the weekend of in style with another all time Norfolk county record time of 1.47.31

Overall WNSC swimmers competed as follows;

Leah Wightman (15yrs) 200m freestyle 2.18.65, 800m freestyle 9.50.13, 50m backstroke 31.01pb, 100m backstroke 1.08.73, 200m backstroke 2.26.52 (pb), 200m IM 2.33.54, 400m IM 5.21.40, 50m butterfly 31.40, 100m butterfly 1.09.25.

Lara Grace Mount (16yrs) 50m backstroke 31.27, 100m backstroke 1.06.49, 100m IM 1.10.23, 50m freestyle 28.13 (pb) 100m freestyle 1.01.44, 50m butterfly 31.01.

Callum Stedman (16yrs) 1500m freestyle 17.03.65(pb), 200m freestyle 2.03.22 (pb).

Jake Lammas (17yrs) 200m IM 2.22.27, 50m freestyle 25.62, 100m freestyle 55.45, 200m freestyle 2.04.72, 200m backstroke 2.20.48.

Freddie Laws (16yrs) 100m IM 1.03.44, 200m IM2.14.37 (pb), 400m IM 4.40.10 (pb), 50m breaststroke 30.87 (pb), 100m breaststroke 1.05.79(heat pb), 1.05.57(final pb) 5th, 200m breaststroke 2.21.06 (heat pb), 2.19.09 (final pb, Norfolk junior and senior record) 50m butterfly 28.01 (pb), 100m butterfly 1.01.43 (pb).

Joe Wells (20yrs)100m IM 1.02.35, 200m IM 2.18.02 (pb), 50 m freestyle 25.03 (pb), 100m freestyle 54.12 (pb)200m freestyle 1.59.16, 400m free 4.16.61, 50m backstroke 29.63, 100m backstroke 1.03.32, 200m backstroke 2.17.66, 50m butterfly 27.46, 100m butterfly 1.00.65.

Alex Florance (19yrs) 100m IM 1.07.00,200m IM 2.22.48, 50m breaststroke 31.85, 100m breaststroke 1.10.56, 200m breaststroke 2.33.57.

Nathan Wells (21yrs) 100m IM 59.04 (heat), 57.99 (final), 200m IM 2.04.16 , 400m IM 4.26.05, , 50m freestyle 24.71, 100m freestyle 52.89, 200m freestyle 1.53.49 (heat), 1.57.19 (final), 400m freestyle 3.58.13, 50m backstroke 26.68 (heat) 26.47 (final), 100m backstroke 56.55 pb, Norfolk senior record, 200m backstroke 2.09.01 (heat), 2.04.10 (final), 100m butterfly 58.73.

Robert Addis (15yrs) 50m freestyle 25.68 (pb), 100m freestyle 56.37 (pb), 50m butterfly 27.56 (pb), 200m backstroke 2.18.81 (pb).

Tom Ball (15yrs) 50m freestyle 26.24 (pb).

Jacob Isle (18yrs) 50m freestyle 25.86 (pb), 100m freestyle 56.66, 200m freestyle 2.06.38, 50m butterfly 28.37, 50m backstroke 29.88, 200m backstroke 2.23.01.

Oliver Kenny (22yrs) 50 m freestyle 24.78, 100m freestyle 56.32, 50m backstroke 27.91 (pb) 100m backstroke 1.00.98, 50m butterfly 26.76 (pb), 100m butterfly 58.59 (pb), 10m IM 59.87 (heat pb) 59.92 (final).

Molly Lee (18yrs)50m breaststroke 33.66, 100m breaststroke 1.12.84, 200m breaststroke 2.44.59.

Luke Bryan 200m freestyle 1.57.96 (pb), 50m butterfly 26.54 (pb), 100m butterfly 58.08 (pb), 50m breaststroke 31.31, 200m breaststroke 2.22.39 (heat), 2.21.92 (final, 4th) 100m IM 1.00.86.

Sarah O’Brien (22 yrs.) 50m breaststroke 33.55 (heat) 33.56 (final), 100m breaststroke 1.12.11 (pb) 7th in final, 100m IM 1.07.68, 50m butterfly 30.33, 50m freestyle 28.21.

Ellie Mei Shepperson (16yrs)50m breaststroke 35.14 (pb), 100m breaststroke 1.15.11, 200m breaststroke 2.45.50.

Linked swimmers Sam Rose, Lucie Peck and Sam Peck, who represented their respective other clubs, St Felix School and City of Cambridge also competed and achieved several personal best times.

Head coach Sarah Vanderloo said ‘There were some great swims from our athletes at this early point in the season, which is evidence of the importance of making the most of every training session. We ran additional sessions over the half term break in the form of a boot camp, which many of our swimmers benefitted from. Alongside the personal best times, we have several qualifiers for the short course national championships which take place in early December at Ponds Forge in Sheffield. We’re also looking forward to the second round of the National Arena league this weekend, when we travel to Nottingham to race 7 other teams. We will soon be holding trial sessions for anyone, of any age considering joining us at West |Norfolk Swimming Club. Details will be posted on our club website in the coming days’