IT was home sweet home for Kendal swimmers when their club staged its annual Mint Gala at the town's leisure centre.
Against competitors from across Cumbria and North Lancashire, they won 17 gold medals and a host of silvers and bronzes as well as collecting pbs and qualifying times.
Sophie Roberts topped the list as the 12-year-old won seven medals.
A great start in the 50 breaststroke enabled her to dominate the race with pace and power, and a brilliant turn and injection of more pace took her to a superb win.
Her power and skill came into play again in the 50 freestyle sprint where she took another gold.
And an increase in distance didn’t deter her and she emerged victorious in butterfly and freestyle supported by silver for breaststroke and individual medley.
James Escolme also figured high on the medal list especially in the individual medleys where he reigned supreme with wins in both the 100 and 200.
He set a steady pace then used his breaststroke to take command and drive on to easy wins.
Two more golds came as a result of his superb talent coupled with a devastating stroke rate in the 50 and 100 breaststroke.
Elliot Woodburn was in his usual top flight form as he competed in four events and came out on top in every one.
In the 50 butterfly and 50 freestyle, he called upon his sprinting skills and took gold with ease whilst in the 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle, he called on his tactical ability and still took the gold medals in style.
Three others, Anna Roberts, Austin Woodburn and Sophie Gibson then took up the challenge and produced a great effort to win a trio of golds each.
Roberts performed brilliantly taking the 50 and 100 breaststroke titles plus the 200 individual medley, whilst Woodburn followed up with wins for 50 butterfly, 100 freestyle and 100 individual medley.
Gibson, having trained hard all year, got her reward with outstanding wins at 50 and 100 breaststroke and the 100 individual medley.
Both Adam Stansfield and Lucie Bulman rose to the occasion with a twin set of golds each.
Stansfield is an outstanding sprinter and used his pace and power to snatch impressive wins at 50 butterfly and freestyle, while Bulman outclassed an impressive field in the 100 freestyle then put together an immaculate performance in the 200 individual medley.
There then followed a glut of nine single gold medal winners.
It was the breaststrokers who came out on top with Kate Collin, Grace Airey, Jessie Keech and Megan Jones emerging with victories in either the 50 or 100m races.
Georgia Heath’s performance at 100 backstroke and Rosemary Swallow’s 200 individual medley saw them lift golds for a different stroke.
Sprinters Reece Kinley and Mathew Foster made their mark with Kinley stroking his way to a well earned gold at 50 breaststroke and Foster burning off the opposition to a win at 50 butterfly.
Benjamin Rowley completed the club’s tally of winners, judging his 100 backstroke perfectly to emerge a worthy winner.
And 19 other squad members went on to win minor place medals, with Max Ainsworth and Annie Bottomley picking up medals in the 14 events they entered, making it one of the club’s most successful meets in the calendar.
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