WORCESTER SC made a splash in the opening round of the 2018 National Arena Swimming League as they secured second place.
Taking place at Nottingham’s Hucknall Leisure Centre, Worcester, who narrowly missed out on the national final last year by a single point, put in an excellent performance against Belper Marlin, Stourbridge, Sutton-in-Ashfield, City of Derby B and Leicester Sharks.
The team started well, clinching second place in the first four events, before Dan Day, George Glover, Adam Rutter and Eddie Cox stormed to victory in the boys’ 13 and under 4×50 metres relay to secure maximum points.
The girls’ 15/u freestyle relay team of Jenny Gearey, Megan Annis, Maddie Fox-Haskins and Josie Armstrong then edged out Belper in the final few strokes to take first place, before Worcester made it a hat-trick of wins as Matt Richards, Will Gearey, Aaron Cook and Louis Doyle dominated from the gun in the boys’ 15/u freestyle relay.
Following three more victories from Matt Richards, one of the UK’s top ranked swimmers, in the men’s open 100m butterfly, boys’ 15/u 100m fly and boys’ 15/u 100m breaststroke, Worcester had opened an eight-point lead over Leicester.
It was all to play for in the final relay events in what had become a two-horse race for top spot between Worcester and Leicester.
However, Leicester’s relay teams battled hard to hold off strong challenges from Worcester’s various age groups, managing to take victories in six of the eight relays to take victory by only five points.
Round two of the West Midlands’ Premier Division of the National Arena Swimming League will take place at the Pingles Leisure Centre, in Nuneaton, on Saturday, November 11.
Worcester will come up against Long Eaton A, Blythe Barracudas A, Leamington Spa, Redditch and Radford, with a top-two finish guaranteeing a place in the regional final.
