County titles in abundance for City of Oxford Swimmers
[photo left to right: Tasha Fenton, Emily Ford, Ellie Millington, Connor Bryan, Arnold Marton and Daniel Jenkins]
The third weekend of competition at the Oxfordshire and N Bucks ASA County Championships at the Aquavale Pool in Aylesbury saw City of Oxford swimmers dominate the open and junior county titles. Over two days of packed competition, which sees the best swimmers from across the area compete in the sprints and middle distance events, Oxford swimmers won an impressive eight open and ten junior (16/U) titles, as well as many individual age group medals.
For the boys, Tobermory MacKay Champion (20) won two open titles in the 50m (29.55) and 200m (2.13.66) breaststroke. Daniel Jenkins (16) also impressed, winning one open and three junior titles. In a tight 200m freestyle final, he won both the open and junior titles in a time of 1.55.64, 100m backstroke (1.00.17) and in the 200m butterfly (see below). Arnold Marton (16) won two junior titles in the 100m butterfly (1.00.83) and in the 200m breaststroke (2:27.05).
In the open 200m butterfly, City boasted a 1-2-3, with Connor Bryan (17) winning the open title in a new personal best time of 2:09.31. Christopher Motha (17) and Ewan Springett (17) were second and third respectively. The junior podium also boasted an Oxford 1-2-3; Daniel Jenkins again took the junior honours (2:12.77) with Freddie Wilkinson (16) second and Max Underwood (16) third.
On the open podium, in the 50m and 200m breaststroke, Connor Bryan took second and third whilst in the junior championships, Nick Skelton (14) and Billy Wotton (14) were second in the 100m backstroke and 200m breaststroke respectively; Arnold Marton (16) was second in the 50m breaststroke and Freddie Wilkinson (16) claimed third in the 200m breaststroke.
For the girls, Ellie Millington claimed two open titles in the 100m freestyle (57.54) and the 200m backstroke (2.16.85); Emily Ford (15) won both the open and junior county titles in the 50m backstroke (29.77). She also won the junior county titles in the 50m butterfly (28.38) and 200 backstroke (2:18.24) and was second in the open championship in the same events. Tasha Fenton (15) won both the open and the junior titles in the 100m breaststroke (1.11.52).
Delphine Little (14) took two seconds and a third on the junior podium in the 50m butterfly, 100m freestyle and the 200m backstroke respectively. Georgina Butler (16) took third on the junior podium in the 100 freestyle; Mimi Morley-Iszatt (14) was second on the junior podium in the 50m backstroke whilst Maia Little (17) claimed third in the open category in the 100m breaststroke.
Christopher Currie (21) dominated the male multi-class events – 50m freestyle (29.07), 200m freestyle (2.13.70), 100m backstroke (1.17.45) whilst Lily Cooke (11) took the title in the MC 50 backstroke (44.16).
City of Oxford also impressed in the relay events, winning both junior titles. The girls’ 4 x 50m freestyle A team of Emilia Chen (16), Emily Ford (15), Tiana Porter (15) and Georgina Butler (16) narrowly beat a strong Milton Keynes team in a close race, with the City B team also claiming third. For the boys, the COSC 4 x 50 medley A team of Dan Jenkins (16), Max Bolcato (15), Arnold Marton (16) and Ewan McBain (16) won their junior title in style.
In the open category, the ladies 4 x 50 freestyle A team of were second with the B team third on the open podium. For the men, the 4 x 50 medley A team were second with the B team third.
The county championships see six days of competition for swimmers aged 10 upwards and there are medals for individual age groups up for grabs. For COSC, the age group winners were:
Boys: Gabriel Agostini (15), 100m Butterfly, George Rudd (15) and Connor Bryan (17), 200m Butterfly, Dan Jenkins (16) 200m freestyle, Oliver Conway (12) and Billy Wotton (14), Tobermory MacKay Champion, 200m breaststroke, Nick Skelton (14) 100m backstroke, Billy Wotton (14) and Tobermory Mackay-Champion, 50m breaststroke,
Girls: Ilizane Penfold (13) and Tasha Fenton (15) 100m breaststroke, Emily Ford (15) 50m butterfly, Mimi Morley Iszatt (14) and Emily Ford (15), 50m backstroke, Emily Ford (15) and Ellie Millington (17) 200m backstroke
Other COSC medal winners were: Nick Skelton, Billy Wotton, Maia Little, Evie McLean, Rosie Hilton-Dew, Megan Peake, Lara Mills, Delphine Little, Tiana Porter, Dorothy Goodgame, Tasha Fenton, Zoe Coombs, Erin Gilchrist, Gabriel Agostini, Mimi Morley Iszatt, Max Bolcato, Megan Smit, Theo Cooke, Connor Bryan, Emily Ford, Elizabeth Oliver.
The championships conclude at Aquavale next weekend with COSC looking to defend their Top Club and Top Junior Club titles, which they have won for the past three years.