Local swimmers making a splash as Newbury District Swimming Club win 19 medals at county championships
Newbury swimmers have enjoyed one of their most successful starts to the year.
The Berks and South Bucks County Championships took place at High Wycombe across two weekends in January and this year Newbury District Swimming Club had 32 swimmers qualify for the competition.
Those young swimmers qualified for 116 different events – 48 more than last year.
And this year Newbury swimmers made 34 finals, taking 19 medals and six championship podium positions.
Eloise Wade won the 50m and 100m breaststroke senior championship titles – the third generation of her family to now be engraved on the 100m trophy.
“Newbury had a hugely successful year at County Champs 2024,” said head coach Emma Harris Commissar. “We saw an increase on entries, finals and medals.
“Stand outs were Eloise Wade winning her 50m and 100m breaststroke senior championship titles and our distance girls Anna Patterson, Grace Wade and Abbie Holland had some impressive swims in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle.
“The boys had a real mix of entries. Barnaby Grayson and Max Brynolf made the final of their 50m and 100m backstroke. Isaac Jordan and Kaan Tugcetin were finalists for the 50m and 100m breaststroke events and Kann won bronze in the 200m breaststroke.
“Olive Muir had a hugely successful meet, bringing home six medals in total.
“We had a high number of first-time qualifiers and second timers who had doubled their entries from the previous year, which shows how much progress they’ve made in 12 months.
“Abbie came back from Oxford University to compete with her home club and won her 200m fly senior championship title and came third in the 200m freestyle seniors.
“We had an amazing achievement of five girls in the 100m breaststroke finals, Emma Dalgleish, Chloe Green, Olive Muir, Grace and Eloise Wade.
“Ella Larkin made finals in most of her events too in her first year qualifying.
“I’m incredibly proud of all qualifiers this year, they’ve achieved so much and I’m excited to see what the rest of the season has instore for them and the club.”
The swimmers are now preparing for qualification for the south east regional championships.
