Young athletes from swimming clubs across Merseyside and Halton made a significant splash over the weekend, delivering a series of outstanding performances at a meet in Warrington. The event was marked by a haul of medals and a remarkable number of personal best times, showcasing the region's burgeoning talent in the pool.
Wirral and Halton Swimmers Lead the Charge
Hope Birley-Brown of Wirral Metro was in spectacular form, earning the prestigious "Top Female Swimmer" award. Her exceptional weekend included setting several new personal bests (PBs) and collecting an impressive six gold and two silver medals. Her teammate, Lottie Abbott-Beck, was also in fine fettle, finishing with three golds and five silvers, while Anna Fearon secured three gold medals.
William Sowden, Xavier Sowden, Sophie Parry, Annabel Preece, and Francesca Rick were among the other notable medal winners from the Wirral contingent. For Halton, Anthony Wawrzyniak led his team's efforts brilliantly, capturing four golds and five silvers while posting multiple PBs. Orla Riley also shone for Halton, taking home three golds, one of which came with a PB in the 50m Freestyle.
Success Spreads Across Liverpool City Region Clubs
It proved to be a highly successful weekend for Everton Swimming Club, where Dylan Harte dominated by adding seven gold medals to his collection. Thomas Ball, James Grant, William Stamper, Anthony Welsh, George Dixon, James Dixon, and Eric Bao all contributed several medals to the club's tally. The event also saw impressive competitive debuts from Yixin Wang and Teddy Mainey.
Bridgefield's Bethany Turner was rewarded for three PBs with a gold and two silvers. Meanwhile, two PBs from Darshak Sai Balamurugan earned him silver medals in the 100m Butterfly and 200m Freestyle. Grace Karvelis and Daniel Morrison each returned home with a gold and a bronze.
Notable Performances from Prescot, Bootle, and Bebington
Prescot SC started strongly with William Gill taking gold in the 800m Freestyle with a new PB and James Beever securing a silver. Rares Achim collected a gold and three silvers, Sam Lutas won two silvers, and Jacob Lupton added four bronze medals, all achieved in PB times.
For Bootle and North Liverpool, Sasha McNabb enhanced her collection with three golds, a silver, and a bronze. Ciara Garlock of Formby secured gold in the 50m Backstroke and bronze in the 50m Freestyle. Bebington's Sofia Howard posted PBs in the 100m Breaststroke, Backstroke, and Individual Medley events.
The weekend was also fruitful for Liverpool Penguins' Smit Koli, who recorded several improved times. Amara Cooper's gold in the 50m Breaststroke was one of two personal bests she achieved. The meet underscored the depth of swimming talent in the North West, with athletes from multiple clubs demonstrating significant progress and competitive excellence.
