With new sponsors – a huge thank you to SwimGainz for an amazing first year supporting the competition – in a break with tradition, the Final of the wonderful Junior Development League was held this year at Coventry, on Saturday 3rd June
It proved as exciting as ever with an electric atmosphere that showcased everything that is so great about swimming – and with music blaring and lights flashing, it may have been the loudest and more colourful Final yet!
The competition was fierce – though a brilliant Redditch team dominated from start to finish, finishing as worthy runaway winners, over 70 points clear of all the other clubs
For large parts of the gala, Worcester lay 5/6th but an uber strong finish saw them claw back the points gap on the other teams to finish a highly creditable 2nd
The final points were Redditch 355, Worcester 282, Evesham 280, Halesowen 272, Pershore 238, Cheltenham 237, Bromsgrove 224 and Stourbridge 217
Worcester was partly “undone” by 10 Speeding Tickets – only Bromsgrove had more! – congratulations to Lucas Pedley (13/14 IM), Sophie Earp (13/14 Freestyle), Clemmie Richards (12’s Backstroke and Breaststroke), Ellis McMullen (11’s Breaststroke), Ava Copson (11’s Breaststroke), Wren Goodison (11’s Freestyle), Jessica Owen (11’s Butterfly), Zac May (9’s Butterfly) and Louie Ginger (9’s Backstroke) on all producing big Personal Best Times on the night
There were many fine performances but Edward Hickman and Logan Nicholls with a brace of first place finishes each deserve special recognition
Above all though this was a typical Worcester TEAM performance, every single swimmer contributing hugely towards the final result, well done to one and all
The full 37 swimmer squad was: Charlotte Hastie, Pippa Preston, Hope Mansell, Olivia Thomas, Ava Aspinall, Lucy Piper, Wren Goodison, Thea Pickstock, Mahlia Sherwood, Ava Copson, Jessica Owen, Wren Goodison, Imogen Ciancio, Clemmie Richards, Anya Rawnsley, Zara Ashfield, Isla Latimer, Sophie Earp, Lottie Carter, Izzy Embley, Louis Ginger, Edward Hickman, Zac May, Leo Genovesi, Henry Howard, Logan Nichols, Elliot Cutler, Freddie Preston, Rapha Rea, Ellis McMullen, Oliver White, Oliver Ginger, Khai Yang, Lucas Pedley, Orlando Grant, Oliver Copson and Harry Pickup