LUCY Sargeant was the pick of the bunch as a team of young Kendal swimmers travelled to Manchester to further their experience in long course pools at the City of Manchester Open Meet.

The youngsters were pitting their skills against the big guns and came away feeling proud of their performances – none more so than 13-year-old Lucy.

In the 100 butterfly she got away to a great start and quickly found her rhythm as she looked to improve on previous performances. In her turn and transition she continued to work really hard – coming up with a lifetime best time of 1.13.94.

In the 50m sprints she was again well up to her PB with a time of 30.91 for freestyle followed by 38.77 for backstroke, and she finished with a more than satisfactory 1.10.82 for 100 freestyle.

Ben Cudby was another who, although competing in only two events, gave a really good account of himself. He got off the mark with a fabulous effort in the 50 butterfly with a PB in 31.13, and in the 100 backstroke he again put in a powerful effort to get close to his PB of 1.12.52.

Megan Jones really made her efforts count in her speciality breaststroke, where the 50m sprint saw her shoulder to shoulder with the leaders as she drove hard to hit the pads in a blanket finish just out of a medal place in 36.67 – just outside her PB.

Full of confidence, she went on to the 100 breaststroke and again turned on the style to take seventh place with a PB of 1.19.46 before blasting her way to another PB in the 50m backstroke with a well-judged swim to lower her mark to 33.93. he completed her programme with another fine swim in the 50 freestyle, just missing out on getting under the 30-second barrier.

Fourteen-year-old Emily Gibson, having qualified through sheer hard work, also gave a performance to be proud of in the 50m backstroke to clock a respectable 35.57, while 12-year-old James Escolme entered six events and had his best return in breaststroke. His 50 sprint saw him finish in sixth place and he had similar success in the 100, where he made a supreme effort for seventh place.

He completed his sessions with a great effort in the 50 freestyle sprint to record a time of 32.68. to complete a highly successful weekend for the club.