206 Medals!

Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club dominated the whole of the County Championships when they came top of the medal table with an incredible haul of 206 medals (84 Gold’s, 66 Silver’s and 56 Bronze’s) with the City of Southampton team a distant 2^nd with 145 medals. This was the first Championships under the new leadership of the new Head Beacon Coach Paul Hogg, who was anxious to see if the changes he has implemented since his arrival on 1^st December 2010 were going to affect the Northsea swimmers performances. He need not have worried after Championship best times after another, fell to the Portsmouth Northsea swimmers.

The new Championship success and records started with a personal best time for Lloyd Young taking the open and 17/18 age group 100 Freestyle in a very fast 51.91.Lloyd also won the 50m & added the Silver in the 200 for a excellent weekends performance.

After a tremendous tussle on Saturday when the City of Southampton girls just touched out the Northsea girls in the Junior 4×50 Medley relay, the Portsmouth Northsea girls roared back with a vengeance on the Sunday when their superior relay takeovers overhauled the City of Southampton girls with Mollie Vincent putting in a blistering last leg of 27.5 last leg to secure the Gold for her team mates of Georgia Tosen, Jennifer Hussey and Steph Winser.

This wasn’t the only time that Mollie was on the victors podium victory over the weekend as she smashed her personal best time’s winning the  200 Butterfly in 2.18.98 and claiming five Championship Records that include 100 Breastroke in 1.14.36 the 50 Butterfly in 29.46 also the 100 Butterfly in 1.04.13 , the 100 IM (1.07.71) and finally the 400 Individual Medley in 4.51.89. Mollies teammates also decided to join her on the medal and personal best time bandwagon over the weekend. Jennifer Hussey improved her times in all events, with a vast improvement in her 400IM (5.09.11) and claiming two national qualifying times for 100 Butterfly (1.06.69) for Bronze and 200 Butterfly (2.22.09) for Silver.

Eliza Bailey (15) showed a return to form when she came from last place at the halfway mark to storm to a Bronze medal in the 200IM in a best time of 2.27.85. Eliza then got her teeth into the 200 Breaststroke final, claiming the Junior Silver in 2.49.07.

The conveyor belt of backstroke talent coming out of Portsmouth Northsea in the wake of World Champions Katy Sexton and Gemma Spofforth continues as a new star has emerged in the form of Sophie Teasdale who set Championship best times in the 100 Backstroke winning in 63.14. Sophie also added the 200 Backstroke Championship title in 2.18.49 as well as the 100 Freestyle in 59.17 to round off her superb weekend. The former World Champion, Katy Sexton helped Portsmouth Northsea to win in the 4×100 Freestyle relay with a strong 57.44 last leg which had followed victory in the 50 Backstroke, unfortunately she had to retire after this success due to swollen glands.

Georgia Tosen (15) returning after illness has disrupted the first half of the season had her first races of the season and came away with a Bronze medal in the Junior 50m Backstroke in 32.52 and the same place in the 200 with 2.26.21.

Steph Winser (15) had a very strong weekend winning Bronze in the 400IM with a 5 second improvement in 5.05.29 & she was joined by Megan Cumming (16) who won Bronze in the 100m Breast (1.17.64) and Silver in the 200 (2.42.83) with teammate Natasha Mullendar winning Bronze in the same event in 2.46.34.

Finally for the girls Alice Stanley did her fastest time for 2 years when she came 2^nd in the 17/18 age group for the 100 Back.

Not letting the girls have all the success the boys also showed tremendous form as Neil Redman claiming a Championship Record for his 200 Breaststroke in 2.24.91.  A close call between, John Molyneaux and Simon Pragnell in the 50 Backstroke as John won by the touch of 27.50 and Simon just behind in second place of 27.53. this came after Simon had demolished the rest of the field in the 100m being the only swimmer to break the 1 minute barrier in 58.44. A tough fight for the junior boys in the 4×50 Medley relay of Alexander Cameron-Calvo, Ryan Young, Neil Redman and Bradley Chapman, who came second to a very strong, Beau Sejour relay team.

In what is known as the toughest event on the race program, the 400IM, Northsea’s boys cleaned up all the medals with Josh Fowler Gold in a seasons best 4.35.60 followed by Elliot Bilsland 4.49.49 & Neil Redmond 4.49.88 who also collected the Junior Gold.

Elliot followed up this medal with another Silver in the 200 Butterfly (2.10.06), Bronze in the 100 (1.0010) another Silver in the 200 Back (2.11.45) & finally Bronze 200Im (2.14.50).

In the Junior section Neil Redmond added the Gold from the 400IM with further Gold’s in the 50, 100 & 200 (Championship Best) Breast as well as the 200IM & was joined by Alex Cameron – Calvo Silver 200 Butterfly, Bronze 50m Butterfly .

This outstanding success followed on from the superb age group squad lead by Head age group coach Richard Pointon who came away with two Scottish national records for Oliver Kincart in 400 Individual Medley in 5.27.70 and 200 Backstroke in 2.30.54 and Kelly Small getting three National times 1500Freestyle in 19.51.94, 200 Backstroke in 2.35.97 and the 400 Individual Medley in 5.47.94. The club now look forward to their Easter Meet and British championships at the start of April.

Paul Hogg
Head Beacon Coach