PIONEER 79 Swimming Club enjoyed its best ever performance at the Lancashire County Swimming Championships which were held in Manchester over two weekends.

The club won a clutch of medals, achieved a string of Regional Qualifying Times and four British Championship Qualifying Times (Olympic Trials)

Pioneer finished in sixth position overall in the ‘Top Club’ rankings - 124 points clear of Wigan and just 32 points behind Preston who finished in fifth position with the big city clubs taking the top four places.

Mike Wilson, Head Coach at Pioneer 79 said “I am extremely pleased with the performances that our swimmers produced at this competition.

"It has been a difficult transformation for them to compete long course after the Christmas Break, having been competing short course events prior to that since September.

"This year’s County Championships have shown some promising results with such, can only strengthen the identity of Pioneer 79 Swimming Club within Lancashire and the North West.

"For a minority, this was the first time they had swam in, let alone competed in a long course (50m) pool, they adapted well, and with further opportunities of competing and training in a 50m pool, their confidence can only grow."

There were many highlights for the club, but the effort of club captain, Tom Gilroy, was the pick of the bunch after winning the 50m backstroke after an incredible battle with Antony Evitts to take the open age group gold medal and the senior championship gold in a time of 27.32 seconds.

In the girls 10/11 years 100m breaststroke final, Pioneer had both Mia Smith and Jessica Simpson, qualifying third and fourth fastest respectively.

Jess stormed into bronze medal position and finishing third in her age group while Mia touched just one second behind in fifth place.

For 12-year-old Para swimmer, Ethan Naisbitt, this year’s Counties was extremely successful, achieving personal best times in each event entered, the 50m/100m freestyle and 100m backstroke.

Ethan’s efforts make him currently ranked number two in the North West in 50m 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke as well as top 10 in the 100m backstroke, 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle with the times he achieved at the Counties.

The times also qualified him for National and International Disability events, and he has also subsequently been rewarded with a place on the ‘Para Spotlight Programme’.

Ethan will be competing in various events over the course of the season, however, the biggest so far will be in April, when he competes against the country’s top para swimmers at the British Para-Swimming International Meet 2016 at Tolcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow.

This event will be the only selection meet for British Para-Swimming to make the Paralympics GB Team.

n Medallists: Jess Simpson 1 bronze; Eleanor Collin 1 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze, 1 JC silver; Ben Turland 1 silver, 2 bronze; Tom Gilroy 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 SC gold, 1 SC silver; Ben Martin 2 gold, 1 silver, 2 JC gold, 1 JC bronze, 1 SC bronze; Izzy Cockerham 2 silver, 1 bronze; Meghann Leaver 1 silver, 1 bronze, 1 SC silver, 1 SC bronze; Beth Hartwell 1 bronze; Harry Robinson 1 silver, 2 bronze; Elodie Smallwood 2 gold, 2 silver, 1 JC silver, 2 JC bronze; Mikaela Shackleton 1 bronze; Ellie Perris 1 bronze; Ben Makin 1 silver; Niamh Robinson 3 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze, 3 SC gold, 2 SC silver, 3 SC bronze;

n Finalists: Mia Smith, Lily Gregg, Baylie Seery-Kelly, Leah Williams, Martha Smith, Izzy Cockerham, Niamh Robinson, Ellie Perris, Beth Hartwell, Simone Ellson, Harry Robinson, Ewan McKavett, Ben Martin, Ben Turland, Tom Gilroy, Eleanor Collin, Mariette Braithwaite, Sam Curran, Ben Makin, Joe Murray, Isabel Martin, Jess Simpson, Elodie Smallwood, Olivia Nicholls, Meghann Leaver.

n RQT’s: Ethan Naisbitt, Harry Robinson, Ben Makin, Matt Sharpe, Ben Turland, Ewan McKavett, Ben Martin, Baylie Seery-Kelly, Beth Hartwell, Isabel Martin, Ruby Cain, Maddie Rogan, Jasmin Lahey, Mikaela Shackleton, Simone Ellson, Meghann Leaver, Alice Harding, Elodie Smallwood, Ellie Ward, Olivia Nicholls, Charlotte Dunn, Leah Williams, Izzy Cockerham, Eleanor Collin, Niamh Robinson, Sam Curran, Joe Murray, Mariette Braithwaite, Ellie Perris, Emily Nuttall.

n British Championships Qualifying Times: Niamh Robinson

n British Para-Swimming International Qualifying Times: Ethan Naisbitt.

After 2 busy weekends of tough competition our Pioneer 79 Swimmers between them achieved:

• 161 ‘Top 10’ Placings

• 75 ‘Finalists’

• 9 ‘Age Group’ gold Medals

• 14 ‘Age Group’ silver Medals

• 16 ‘Age Group’ bronze Medals

• 2 ‘Junior Championship’ gold Medals

• 2 ‘Junior Championship’ silver Medals

• 3 ‘Junior Championship’ bronze Medals

• 4 ‘Senior Championship’ gold Medals

• 4 ‘Senior Championship’ silver Medals

• 5 ‘Senior Championship’ bronze Medals

• 4 ‘British Championship Qualifying Times’ (Olympic Trials)

• Unbelievable amount of new Personal Best Times......

• A total of 30 swimmers achieving a staggering 193 Regional Qualifying Times between them!

As mentioned by our Head Coach, for a small number of our younger competitors it was to be a battle of the nerves, competing in an Olympic sized pool for the first time and also competing in front of approximately 1000 spectators, they did themselves and their club proud, achieving personal best times along the way.