Swimming
Redditch Swimming Club make final

A SUPERB performance enabled Redditch Swimming Club to come equal first in their third and final qualifying round of the Nuneaton & District Junior League.

Having won the round one gala and finished second in round two, the team put in another stunning performance at Pingles Leisure Centre in Nuneaton to finish equal first with Halesowen.

This secured fourth place in the league overall, with 17 points, just one point behind table-toppers Northampton A and automatic qualification to the Division One final in Wolverhampton on Saturday, September 8.

There are 24 teams in Division One, from across the Midlands, and well over 60 teams in the three divisions of the league, so great credit must go to all the swimmers and coaches in reaching the final again for only the second time in the club's long history.

As expected the gala was both the toughest and most competitive of the year so far, with Redditch gaining 221 points, Halesowen 221, Nuneaton & Bedworth 211, Stourbridge 156, Stafford Apex 146 and Northampton B 108.

Individual race winners for Redditch were Hollie Richmond (10yrs, 50m backstroke), Alice Oliver (10yrs, 25m butterfly), Rosie Potter (11yrs, 50m backstroke), Issy Griffiths (12yrs, 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly), Megan Moss (12yrs, 50m breaststroke), Poppy McGourlay (12yrs, 50m freestyle), Tom Page (11yrs, 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke) and Dan Noke (11yrs, 50m butterfly).

There were also second placed finishes for Alice Oliver, Rosie Potter, Luke Warren (two), William Moss and Tyler Hartles and third places for Joe Hamilton, Tom Page, Will Moss and Sophie Lloyd-Smith (two).

There was more success in the relay races with wins for the ten-year-old girls medley team and the 12-year-old girls freestyle and medley teams.

Redditch SC head coach Chris Britt was delighted with the team performance and commented: "The Diddy League is the main competition for under 12s in the Midlands.

"To make the final in two out of the last three years and come so close last year is fantastic for everyone at the club.

"The team will lose our very strong 12-year-olds next season, but I am confident that, with the young talent pushing through, we can achieve another good league position again next year."

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