Phoenix turn up the heat at Essex event

1:40pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

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PHOENIX Swimming Club certainly made a real splash at the County Swimming Champion-ships.

The Basildon-based outfit claimed 15 top six placings to take their total to 27 across the four weekends of competition among the top swimmers in Essex.

Star of the show was 11-year-old Kathryn Pearse, who came away with the gold and 100m backstroke county championship title to add to the 50m title she already held.

Pearse also won the final in a second personal best and national championship qualifying time of 1min 13.19 secs.

To add to this success, she also took silver in the 200m backstroke and 200m butterfly, bronze in the 100m and 400m individual medlies and top five placings in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle events and 100m breaststroke all in East Regional Championship qualifying times.

Overall Pearse finished third in the county for the 11-year-old age group.

Elsewhere, 14-year-old Michael Grace built on his earlier success in the sprint events by taking silver in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the 100m freestyle with big personal bests and regional championship qualifying times.

Grace also produced three other top six placings in the 200m freestyle, 200m breaststroke in regional championship qualifying times and 200m individual medley.

Sidney Wood took his first top six placing at the championships finishing fourth in the 13 years 200m breaststroke in a big personal best time.

Other success came from 11-year-old Maisie West as she gained regional championship qualifying times in the 100m and 200m backstroke and personal best times in the 100m individual medley and 200m freestyle.

Rebecca Asher secured a personal best time in 100m breaststroke in her first championship.

Samantha Mullender secured personal best times in the 200m freestyle, just missing her regional time in the 14 years age group.

Francesca Seber swum to a 100m individual medley pb in the 12-years age group.

Fourteen-year-old Thomas Har-ris finished the two weekends with three more PBs in the 400m, 200m and 100m freestyle events and the 100m backstroke.

The oldest Phoenix swimmer was Henry Wood and the 16-year-old came away with three regional championship qualification times and personal bests in the 200m and 100m freestyle and the 200m individual medley.

Ten-year old Harvey Brown also competed in the 200m backstroke.

Phoenix Swimming Club cater for swimmers of all ages and abilities and meet and train at various pools in the district.

Anyone interested in becoming a member can contact the club secretary on 01268 414798.