BURNLEY Bobcats Squad competed at the North West Region Summer Championships event over three consecutive weekends in May/June and had some great results.

Noel Horton, Head Coach at Bobcats took 19 of his 38 squad swimmers to the Summer Championships and they were rewarded with a Regional record, had 8 Regional Champions, won 3 silver and 3 bronze medals, and had swimmers qualify for British Championships and the ASA National Summer Championships at Ponds Forge, Sheffield in July/August.

Team Girl Captain, Katie Rennolds (16) swam in the 17 year/older category and won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 800m freestyle events, with a new Regional Record being set in the 200m event. Katie followed on with a silver medal in the 400m freestyle and a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle. Katie will now compete at the British Summer Championships in the 100m, 200m, 800m freestyle, and 100m butterfly events after being ranked as one of Britain’s top swimmers. She will also compete the following week at the ASA National Summer Championships in the 50m and 400m freestyle, and 200m and 50m butterfly events.

Team Boy Captain, Josh Lambert (16) competed in a number of events during the Championships and excelled in the 100m butterfly and 200m Individual Medley events to win bronze medals in both and a qualifying for a place at the British Summer Championships in the 100m butterfly event. Josh will also be a member of the Boys 14/16 Medley Relay team at the National Summer Championships, swimming the butterfly leg of the race.

Miranda Bower (15) achieved some excellent personal bests throughout the event, winning a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke and reached the final of the 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke. Like her team Captains, Miranda will now compete at the British Summer Championships in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.

William Beaven (16) swam in the 17 year/older category and reached the finals of the 50m and 100m freestyle finals and also swam the 50m butterfly and 200m freestyle races. William will be part of the Bobcats squad who will compete at the Summer Nationals in all of these four events.

Ellie Taylor (15) had a very successful weekend reaching a number of finals and swam the 50m and 100m butterfly, 100m and 200m freestyle, followed by the 200m IM event to achieve a ranked position in all these events to compete at the Summer National competition in August. Ellie was also a team member of the Girls 14/16 year 4 x 100m freestyle team and 4 x 100m medley team who just narrowly missed out at competing at the National event by hundredths of a second.

Elliot Norman (14) swam the 100m, 200m, 400m freestyle; 200m IM, 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke events and reached finals in all his events. Elliot swam the breaststroke leg of the Boys 4 x 100m Medley relay, who have successfully secured a place at the National event and he will also compete in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events at this level.

Harry Pilkington (14) competed in the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle, 200m IM and reached the finals of two events and secured a place at Summer Nationals in the 100m freestyle event. Harry is also part of the Boys 4 x 100m Medley team swimming the freestyle leg of the race.

Thomas Mackay (15) produced some excellent personal bests in the 100m, 400m and 1500m freestyle events and Tom will swim the 100m backstroke leg alongside fellow team mates Harry, Elliot and Josh in the 4 x 100m Medley at Summer Nationals.

16 year old girl squad members Grace Pickles, Colette Meade, and Ella Sheridan all swam in a number of events at the competition. Grace narrowly missing out on a medal in the 400m and 800m freestyle events.

Colette qualified for a number of events including the 200m and 400m IM, breaststroke and freestyle events and reached a number of finals. Colette was a team member of the Girls 4 x 100m freestyle and 4 x 100m Medley team alongside Ella Sheridan, Ellie Taylor and Miranda Bower.

Younger squad members Mia Sheridan and Lily-Grace Duckworth, both 12, had some fantastic swims reaching finals in a number of events with Lily crowned Regional Champion in the 50m and 100m freestyle events and winning a silver medal in the 200m freestyle race. Both girls qualified in a number of events with Mia qualifying for finals in the breaststroke events and they had a fantastic race alongside one another in the 200m Individual Medley final.

Para swimmers Katie Rilett-Young (16) an S6 swimmer, and Thomas Brown (15) an S14 swimmer with the squad both attended the Championships. Katie achieved Regional Champion in the 400m freestyle event and Tom was crowned Regional Champion in the 100m breaststroke and 100m butterfly events. Both Katie and Tom will now join the other Bobcats to compete at the National Summer Championships.

Senior squad members Kerry Holding and Abigail Procter competed in butterfly and freestyle events whilst 13 yr old Darcy Williams competed in backstroke at the Championships.

Head Coach Noel Horton said “to have a large number of swimmers in finals at this event and at this level of competition was excellent, and to come away with a Regional record, medals and swimmers achieving places at British Summer Championships and ASA National Summer Championships was overwhelming in my first season working with the squad. Finally to have swimmers qualify in 47 finals and for the small squad to be placed in 13th position at the conclusion of the three weekend event was a fantastic achievement and proof that their hard work this season has paid off. The squad will now focus on a couple of galas before the highlight of the season, the British Summer Championships and the ASA National Summer Championships in Sheffield”.

Burnley Bobcats who hold a number of training sessions at the St Peter’s Centre, Burnley who can be contacted by visiting www.burnleybobcats.org.uk.