Luke strikes gold for Kelly

WESTERN COUNTY ASA CHAMPIONSHIPS

4th-5th December, 2004.

New Kelly College student, Luke Wakefield won a surprise 200m IM gold medal in the Open age group of the Western County ASA Championships last weekend. The 16 year old qualified for the final as the third fastest qualifier but produced the swim of his life to take the title despite his goggles filling with water on the first length. Luke was then joined by team mates Matthew Henry, David Kelly and Tom Howe in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay where they were convincing winners in the last event of a long weekend of competition. The relay team, this time with Jonathon Wills in place of Tom Howe, also won championship silver in the 4 x 100m medley event.

GB team members Claire Cashmore and David Hill earned a host of championship golds in the multi-disability category with Claire winning the 50m  and 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 200m IM event and David claiming the titles in the 50m and 100m backstroke, 400m freestyle and 200m IM. Both have returned to the Kelly squad following their appearances in the Paralympics held in Athens this summer.

In the womens breaststroke events, swimmers Sophie Calpin, Sophie Stanford and Holly Yeo all made in through to Championship finals during the weekend. Holly and Sophie Stanford clinched silver and bronze medals in the 50m final, being separated by mere tenths of a second which also earned Holly the Junior silver as well. Meanwhile, Sophie Calpin gained success in the 100m and 200m events winning a championship and junior bronze in the 200 and a junior bronze in the 100.

Gold medals also went to Amanda Sanderson in the junior 400m IM and Sophie Howe in the junior 100m butterfly. Sophie also earned silver in the junior 200m butterfly and produced swam some impressive times, clocking three National Qualifying times which also qualify her to compete at the Junior European Qualifying competition next spring.

Also in the Junior category, Matthew Henry came second in the 1500m freestyle as did Amanda in the 200m IM and 400m freestyle, Tom Howe in the 200IM and Joshua Lake in the 50m breaststroke. Bronze medals went to Tom Howe (200m and 400m freestyle), Matthew Henry (200m and 100m backstroke), Daniel Kidwell (200m breastsroke), Joshua Lake (100m breaststroke) and Philip Channon (50m backstroke).

Well done to all the medallists and to the rest of the squad for their support and encouragement.