Promotion joy for county swimmers
Shropshire swimmers made history in Sheffield as they clinched promotion to Division One of the National Inter-County Team Swimming Championships.
The county had never ended higher than 10th in Division Two, but a fourth-placed finish at Ponds Forge was enough to book a spot at swimming’s top table in 2019.
Cheshire were crowned Division Two champions with 461 points, but with some gutsy racing Shropshire’s swimmers amassed 430 points to finish behind Nottinghamshire (444) and Derbyshire (431).
Coach Gary Barnes took 24 of the county’s next generation of swimming stars to Sheffield intent on taking on their bigger neighbours and rewriting the record books
In a thrilling competition that saw Shropshire topping the table after 10 events and holding second place until the last few, the team held its nerve to get over the line and spark wild celebrations.
In doing so, they also won the award for the top county in the West Midlands by beating friendly rivals Worcester, Warwickshire and Staffordshire.
Team captains Chris Hooper (Ellesmere) and Ellie Southward (Ellesmere) led from the front in a team that included swimmers from seven of the county’s leading swimming clubs to make their stunning success a real team effort.
Top point scorers for Shropshire were Charlie Hutchison (45, Ellesmere College), Katie Hale (37.5, Ellesmere College), George Smith (34.75, Ellesmere College), Eve Leleux (31.75, Wrekin College) and Adam Metcalf (27.5, Ellesmere College).
Commenting on their achievement, Barnes said: “The team were magnificent and everyone really played their part.
“Established swimmers doing individual events tend to get the limelight, but the reason we did so well was because of the those emerging swimmers, picked for one leg of a relay and cheerfully putting in an outstanding performance.”
Every point mattered and in the bravest performance of the night was from Bucge Altunbek, known as Boo by her team-mates.
Recently arrived from Turkey, swimming for Oswestry Otters and a pupil of Oswestry School, Boo had never competed in the UK before and was asked to swim the anchor leg for the girls 14/15 medley relay.
For someone who is not yet a fluent English speaker, you could have forgiven Boo for being intimidated. But a perfect start and a calm swim at her personal best time delivered six vital points and epitomised a great team spirit.
Six swimmers won individual events – Charlie Hutchison (2), George Smith, Adam Metcalf, Joel Thompson, Pia Murray and Gerda Vasiliauskeite.
Shropshire team: Ellesmere College - Charlie Hutchison, Katie Hale, George Smith, Adam Metcalf, Joel Thompson, Pia Murray, Oliver Covill, Gerda Vasiliauskeite, Ellie Southward, Henrietta D’Ammassa, Anna Smail, Alex Rosser-Barnett, Chris Hooper, Prue Noss and Jake Hutchinson. Wrekin College - Eve Leleux, Anya Preece, Leon Steer. Ludlow SC - Oliver Morgan. Northgate - Louise Jones, Elle Humphries. Oswestry Otters - Bucge Altunbek. TelfordAqua - Aaron Wilson. Wellington - Tymon Strzelecki.
