A SQUAD of 35 Kendal swimmers brought home a massive total of 76 medals – 27 of them gold – from an open gala at Barrow.

There were some awesome swims and James Escolme set the standard as he won all five events that he entered, both at sprint and middle distances.

He reigned supreme at 50 breaststroke and butterfly and went on to bring tactics and power into play for the 100 breaststroke and butterfly, getting better and better with each race, and to complete an amazing day he then combined all the strokes to win the 100 Individual Medley to take his fifth gold medal.

Robert’s sisters Anna and Sophie were also in brilliant form, hitting triple gold and double silver each in a real roller coaster of a day.

Sophie won her 50 butterfly sprint while Anna 'only' took silver, but then she turned the tables to win her 100 butterfly as Sophie had to settle for silver. Then a change of stroke for both brought them gold – Anna winning the 100 breaststroke and Sophie the 100 freestyle – before the icing on the cake came when both won the Individual Medley for another gold medal.

Eleven-year-old Mathew Foster was another who amassed three golds and three silvers as he completely dominated the 50 and 100 breaststoke events, and his sprinting brought further success with the gold medal for 50 butterfly, followed by a silver for 50 backstroke. He also made valiant efforts at 50 and 100 freestyle but won silver medal in both.

In the same age category Jake Gibson kept up the momentum with a trio of golds for 50 backstroke and freestyle plus 100 freestyle, and he went on to close his account with a silver in the 50 butterfly.

Now one of the club’s top swimmers, 14-year-old Rosemary Swallow has blossomed this year with some dazzling performances and she stamped her mark on the meet with three gold and two silver medals from five events.

She burst through for a win at 50 backstroke followed by a silver in the 50 freestyle sprint, but upping the distance to the 100 freestyle she snatched gold then went on to silver with a powerful 100 butterfly swim. and completed her clutch in the 100 Individual Medley to complete her hat trick of golds.

Susanna Corrie showed power and an immaculate stroke pattern to win gold medals at both 50 and 100 breaststroke, backed up by a bronze in the 100 Individual Medley.

And nine-year-olds Ben Rowley and Rebecca Fisher gave brilliant performances – Rowley collecting silver medals at 50 backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle before moving up a gear to take gold at butterfly while Fisher powered her way to a well earned 100 backstroke gold, then completed a full set with silver for 100 Individual Medley and bronze for 50 breaststroke.

Three other powerhouse swimmers all struck gold – Isabelle Wall-Budden winning her 100 freestyle, Kiera Nelson her 50 backstroke and Lucy Sargeant the 100 butterfly.