Swimming: Reay sets new PB to reach regional championships (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Swimming: Reay sets new PB to reach regional championships

9:30am Thursday 26th January 2012 in Sport By Patrick O'Kane, Senior News/Sport Reporter

EMILY Reay knocked three seconds off her personal best to qualify for the regional swimming championships in Manchester later this year.

Reay, 11, exploded off the block in the 100m freestyle in Harrogate and was up on her rivals coming out of transition. From then on she was never going to lose and her power and skill burned off the opposition as she stormed out of the final turn and burst home in 1.08.64.

Taylor Aplin was again in great form and making steady progress by collecting PB’s in all of her events. Her outstanding performance of the day was a gruelling 200m butterfly ,which she completed in 3.47.53 to take a well earned gold medal.

Changing to sprint mode she powered her way to a speeding ticket for 50m freestyle in 33.65 and went on to collect a bronze medal for 200m backstroke.

Another 11-year-old, James Williams, put up fine displays in his sprint events, swimming a fantastic 50m freestyle to take one second off his PB. but had to be content with a silver medal in 32.80.

Willians then went on to give a repeat performance in the more strenuous 50m butterfly to take another silver edal and PB in 41.72.

Daniel Armstrong, 12, still recovering from injury, showed great determination in the 200m backstroke. From the off he quickly got into his stroke pattern and worked hard throughout, but had to settle for silver as he was touch out of the gold medal position.

Other quality swims came from Amy Reay (50m breaststroke/100m freestyle) and Olivia Williams (50m breaststroke/100m freestyle/200m freestyle).