A small squad of Ulverston swimmers made the trip to take part in an Open Gala staged by Wigan Swimming Club and found themselves taking on the big city competitors.

With their confidence at a high level the Otters acquitted themselves well and produced some brilliant personal bests and qualifying times, while picking up a number of individual medals.

Most success went to Amelia Mardel, which really tested her skills and talent.

Her best effort came from her 50m breaststroke sprint where off the block she got a great start and coming out of transition she quickly found her rhythm and proceeded to take it on and set a devastating pace.

Holding off some spirited challenges she stayed calm and held her nerve to take her into the pressure zone and with another injection of pace hit the finish in a brilliant time of 36.40 to take the gold medal.

The 50 freestyle sprints saw her almost pull off the double but, despite an outstanding effort, she found herself just touched out of the gold in a blanket finish and had to settle for silver with a time of 28.51.

She then concentrated her efforts on the all round 200 individual medley and gave a fine display of her dazzling technique, driving her way into second place in 2:34.98 and another well-earned silver to complete her programme.

Mardel then produced more class performances at butterfly, backstroke and also adding a bronze medal for her 200 Freestyle.

Twelve-year-old old Ethan Alpress was again in brilliant form, never finishing outside the top ten and excelled especially at backstroke.

In the 50 sprint he used all his power and stroke technique to take him into a storming finish, taking the silver medal in a time of 33.11.

The 100 backstroke saw him produce a similar result with another outstanding swim to take another silver medal.

His two swims at butterfly, the 50 and 100, were top class and he was somewhat unlucky to finish just outside the medal positions but nevertheless his times were well up to his best.

He completed the meet with performances to be proud of in the 100 freestyle and 200 individual medley.

Stalwart Tom Robinson gave another of his usual outstanding performances and although only entered in two events he was in medal winning form.

Using all his superb skill and technical know-how he quickly got into the mix in the 200 individual medley. Right from the start he was up there, shoulder to shoulder with the leaders and kept himself well placed.

Into the pressure zone the result came down to another blanket finish with Robinson taking silver in 2:11.85.

The lung-bursting 200 butterfly brought out the best in Robinson and again he drew on his strength and power to snatch the bronze meal in another close finish.

Twelve-year-old Felicity Boyle had varied success with her efforts and her best results came from the distance events rather than the sprints.

Her 200 breaststroke was outstanding and, as the race progressed, she got better and better. Holding to her task, length after length she piled on the pressure and in a close finish took bronze medal in a time of 2:55.30.

More fine efforts were to follow, finishing in the top ten in a further four events.

Anna Morrison was to complete the Otters' contribution with some fine efforts. Although outside the medal list she performed brilliantly in the 50 and 200 butterfly as well as the 100 backstroke, to come away with highly impressive times.