City of Liverpool SC Tadpole League 2011  - Final Positions

Matty & Will claim overall 2011 BAGCATS Titles for Halton SC

In a dramatic finish to the City Of Liverpool SC Sponsored Tadpole League Competition Halton SC became the home of two Overall BAGCAT Champions for 2011.

In the final series of League Galas held at Everton Park on Friday 18^th November, 10 Year Old Will Woodward won the 200m Individual Medley event by over 5 seconds to claim yet another Gold Medal in this competition and in doing so clinched the Boys 10 Years Overall League Title by almost 200 points. A brilliant achievement for Will and on a great night for the club, joining Will on the winners Podium was Team Mate Matty Sayle whose superb 5^th Place finish in the 11 Year Boys 200m IM , in a new personal best time of 3.03.56 - an improvement of over 15 seconds, was good enough to move Matty up from second position in the table to overall winner and 11 Year Old Boys Champion. This is an outstanding achievement, and the first time that the club has held two individual overall titles at this level. Matty and Will are pictured with their Winners trophies at Everton Park.

Well done gentlemen.

In the same competition, 12 Year Old Alison Steele finished 5^th in the girls 200m Individual Medley to claim another pennant and consolidate 5^th Place Overall in the Girls League table achieving an outstanding 1524 points in the prcess. In a brilliant IM swim Alison reduced her Personal Best time by almost 10 seconds. There were also Personal Best Swims in the Medley events for Ryan Sanders, Sam Clayton, Leah Horabin, Eleanor Donald, Ceris Breckell, Sarah Roberts and Elanor Sims.

Eleanor Donald finished 8^th Overall in the 11 Year Girls BAGCATS Competition with a massive 1113 Points, Ceris Breckell was 11^th overall in the 12 Year Old Girls event with 1112 points.

Well done to everyone who took part in this years Tadpole competition and a massive thanks to all the poolside helpers, Officials and Team Management who have supported the swimmers throughout this long competition.

Halton were 6^th in the Overall Club Competition.

Halton SC Deva League 3^rd Division Champions for 2011

Following Friday’s success at the Tadpole League the Club clinched the Deva League 3^rd Division Title at Kingsway on Saturday evening with a win in the last gala in the Deva series for 2011. This is Halton’s first Season in this competition and the Team have performed outstandingly well to gain promotion at the first attempt.

The Team along with Captains Elanor Sims and Sam Craig are pictured with the Third Division Winners Trophy at the completion of the Gala on Saturday evening.

A special mention to everyone who has represented the club in the Deva Competition this year and we are looking forward to competing in the Second division next year.

The Deva Competition Squad:

Boys: Ben Lovell, Sam Craig, Richard Houghton, Owen Price, Matty Sayle, Tom Craig, Simon Asai, Thomas Roberts, Joseph Ware, Ian Larsson, Matt Williams, Keiran Hughes, Liam Sheeran, Adam Penney, Dan McCormick, Tom Hough and Tom Williams

Girls: Beth Reid, Ellie Mitchell, Zahra Groves, Eleanor Donald, Lizzie Bryce, Ceris Breckell, Eleanor Sims, Amber Lovell, Courtney Price, Sarah Roberts, Morgan Grady, Erin Mitchell, Megan Mitchell, Jess Donald, Nikita Jackson, Stacey King and Sarah Lou Banner.

Deva Gala 3 Result: 1^st Halton SC 231 Points, 2^nd Sandbach Sharks SC 199 Points, 3^rd Nantwich Seals SC 136 Points.

Eleanor Sims and Sam Craig - Team Captains for Deva League.

Ellie -Jo Claims National Title - Well done Ellie !!! (Correction of original article paragraph)

10 Years Old Ellie Jo Hughes is the latest Halton SC Swimmer to claim a National Title.

Having already been crowned North West Regional Champion for 50m Fly at 12 and under, Ellie-jo, who was representing her school, Tower College,  at the National Independent Schools Swimming Competition in Coventry, has returned home with a Gold Medal and Silver Medal. Ellie-jo was part of the Gold medal winning freestyle relay team and also picked up a silver for the Medley Relay. Ellie also recorded a PB in finishing 5^th in the Individual Fly competition. What a great achievement for given Ellie-jo was two years younger than the rest of the field.

Jess Makes Regional Team for National Finals

Congratulations to Jess Donald who was selected to Swim for the Regional ATC Swim team in the National Finals at RAF Cranwell - Well Done Jess.

Alison mixes with Great Britain Olympic Swimming Stars at Stockport

Alison Steele proudly represented Halton SC at the Stockport Metro Level 1 Competition at Grand Central pools over the weekend.

As Halton SC’s sole representative at the Competition, Alison rubbed shoulders with a host of Great Britain International swimmers including Olympic 2010 hopefuls Michael Rock and Kerry Anne Payne. Alison finished in an excellent 9^th place with in a very fast 33.56 seconds. Well done Alison for keeping the Halton flag flying at this prestigious winter meet.

Halton SC Make National Arena Swimming League North West Divison 2 Final.

In a pulsating gala at Winsford Halton SC finished in an excellent 2^nd Place and consolidated their place in the North West Division 2 Final of the National Competition to be held at Kendal in December.

Pushing eventual winners Bebington SC all the way the Halton team eventually had to settle for the runners up spot but not before rattling up enough points to ensure their place in the  Division 2 Final.

Top performer and leading the way was Club Captain Will Warburton with a Hat Trick of Wins in the Men’s Open Individual Medley, 100m Backstroke and 100m Breaststroke. There were also impressive wins for  Matty Sayle with a double win in the 11 Years Boys 50m Fly and 50m Back, Laura Gorry 13 Years 50m Breaststroke, Tom Craig 13 Years 50m Breaststroke, Thomas Roberts also with a double win in the 13 Years 50m Fly and 50m Back, Alison Steele in the 13 Years 50m Fly, Leanne Clarke in the girls open 100m Breaststroke and James Flaherty in the Boys Open 100m Breaststroke.

Personal Best times were recorded by Eleanor Donald, Thomas Roberts, Morgan Grady, Tom Craig, Nikita Jackson, Ellie -Jo Hughes, Alison Steele, Will Woodward, Leanne Clarke, James Flaherty and Abbie Jenkins.

Result: 1^st Bebington 255 Points; 2^nd Halton 242; 3^rd Clitheroe Dolphins 174; 4^th Bury & Elton 135; 5^th City of Bangor 114 and in joint 5^th Place Ormskirk Otters also on 114 Points.

Cheshire County 2011 Junior Meet at Macclesfield

The club sent a small team to the 2011 Cheshire County Junior graded meet at Macclesfield over the weekend.  Once again it proved to be a very useful exercise enabling the more junior members of the squad to get a taste of County Standard Competition. They were impeccably behaved and returned with a fine set of results.

Halton’s representatives were: Joseph Ware competing at 50m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke and 50m Backstroke; 9 Year Old Leah Horabin also competing at 50m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke and 50m Backstroke. Leah gained an excellent 4^th place in her Freestyle event. Ryan Sanders competed in the 100 IM finishing in a creditable 6^th Place and also contested the 50m Breaststroke and 50m Freestyle. Sam Clayton was 6^th in the 50m Breast and Sarah Roberts gained an excellent 4^th Place in the 50m Backstroke. Sarah also had excellent times for her 50m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke and 100IM.

Well done to all who competed and a big thanks to Paula for Team Managing on the day and allowing our promising youngsters to improve their experience at this standard.

Garston SC McMonagle Relay 2011 Gala goes with a Splash

Thanks to a generous ongoing annual invitation from neighbours Garston SC, Halton competed in the McMonagle Trophy Relay Gala at Crosby Leisure Centre on Sunday afternoon. This is always an enjoyable and keenly contested competition with an element of fun as all events are relay combinations and contain separate Boys and Girls Competitions that fully stretch and test the strength in depth of the Halton Squad. Adding to the sense of occasion this year was a film crew who took over the car park whilst compiling a new TV drama series set amongst the sand dunes and iron men on Crosby Beach.

In a thoroughly enjoyable afternoons competition  Halton finished 4^th in the girls event and 3^rd in the boys event.

Boys: 1^st Crosby 79 Points;  2^nd Liverpool Penguin SC 77;  3^rd Halton SC 70; 4^th Bootle & North Liverpool SC 56; 5^th Bridgefield SC 48, 6^th Garston 47.

Girls: 1^st Liverpool Penguin SC 93 Points, 2^nd Crosby 90; 3^rd Garston SC 66, 4^th Halton SC 57, 5^th Bootle & North Liverpool 42, 6^th Bridgefield SC 30.

A special mention for our younger swimmers making their debut in this competition all of whom performed exceptionally well: Jessie Stritch, Cliodhna Jennions, Lucy Harris, Taylor Tout, Dan Buckley, Lisa Bazley and Tom Atchison. There also were excellent swims from Holly Quinn, Zara Cowan and Sophie Patton.

PP.  Neil F