Sharks show bite at Rugby meet - The Stratford Observer

Sharks show bite at Rugby meet

Stratford Editorial 15th Mar, 2018   0

STRATFORD Sharks produced some great performances at the three-day Rugby Open Level 3 Meet.

Only seven club swimmers made it through the snow to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Centre last Friday evening and three of them – Leah Bowen, Charlotte Harding and Abigail Dudfield – managed to achieve West Midlands Regional qualifying times.

Sharks swimmers recorded nine personal bests on the night, when only half the total entries made it. Medals were won in the 400m freestyle by Amelia Knipe (2nd in 9/10yr) and Leah Bowen (2nd in 11/12yr). Charlotte Harding also earned a second place in the 11/12yr 50m backstroke.

The Saturday session began with the girls’ 200m breaststroke and a first and second place in the 15yr age group for Isabelle Callaghan and Eleanor Vickers respectively.




Ellie Harsant achieved third place in the 13/14yr group. All three swimmers, plus Leah Bowen in the 11/12yr group, added to the number of Team Sharks West Midlands Championships qualifiers. Benjamin Elliott also got a second place for the boys in the same event for the 9/10yr age.

Cassie Lea won the 100m girls’ freestyle in the 9/10yr age group – the first of many successes for Cassie over the weekend.


Team Sharks contributed 31 swimmers to the 100m freestyle, with many PBs achieved. Hannah Penny with a third place and Isabelle Callaghan with a second place added to the medals tally in their respective age groups.

Not to be outdone, the boys also added to the medal count with Lewis Morrison winning the 9/10yr age group. Medals continued to flow for Sharks’ swimmers in the 100m individual medley with a first place for Eleanor Vickers, second for Mike Ireland and third for Leah Bowen.

Excellent evening

Three further Stratford medals were won in the Saturday evening session, with wins in their respective age groups for Cassie Lea (200m backstroke, 200m individual medley and 50m fly), Eleanor Vickers (50m fly), Isabelle Callaghan (200m individual medley) and Rebecca Morrison (200m individual medley), followed by her brother Lewis, also in the 200m individual medley.

Finishing in the top three were Daisy Dillon-Cambridge and William Barnes (200m backstroke), Freya Proud, Charlotte Harding, Morgan Evans (50m fly) and Harvey Flint (200m individual medley).

Successes continued for Sharks on the third and final day with Cassie Lea completing her fifth win in the 9/10yr age group in the 100m backstroke. Leah Bowen was second in the 11/12yr age and Georgina Ireland third in the 13/14yr group.

Cassie Lea, Leah Bowen and Isabelle Callaghan won their 50m freestyle races, with Eleanor Vickers closely following Isabelle in second place.

Medals were won by Benjamin Elliott (3rd in 9/10yr 100m breaststroke) and Alistair Ristov (3rd in 11/12yr breaststroke). Daisy Dillon-Cambridge added to the Sharks’ medal tally with third in the girls’ 100m breaststroke, with Ellie Harsant second in the 13/14yr section and Isabelle Callaghan and Eleanor Vickers filling the first two places in the 15yr group.

The final session of the meet provided more success for the Sharks as Lewis Morrison finished second in the 200m freestyle and Cassie Lea won the same event for the girls.

Leah Bowen and Rebecca Morrison finished second and third to end the 200m freestyle in style for Team Sharks. Good performances in the 50m breaststroke yielded third places for Alistair Ristov and Morgan Evans in their age groups, with Eleanor Vickers bringing home a second place in the 15yr girls’ event.

The swimmers’ energy levels were being severely tested as they entered the final two events – 100m fly and 400m individual medley. In the fly, Charlotte Bean grabbed second place in the 9/10yr group, followed by wins for Charlotte Harding in the 11/12yr and Eleanor Vickers in the 15yr.

The 400m individual medley brought Sharks yet more success with Rebecca Morrison second and Leah Bowen third in the 11/12yrs and Isabelle Callaghan winning the 15yr.

Isabelle Watts swam a great PB despite losing her goggles at the start of her 200m breaststroke race.

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