10 personal bests and 17 Lincolnshire County Championships qualifying times for Deepings Swimming Club

Mille Herrick, Eloise Walker, Jacob Briers, Kendra Greenwood-Covell, James Cash and Mieke McDonald attained qualifying times in a total of 35 events.

Between them, they achieved 10 personal bests and 17 qualifying times for next year’s Lincolnshire County Championships, and were very close to many others, an impressive result so early into the new season.

Racing in the 15/16 years age group, 15-year-old Millie Herrick put in a series of excellent performances across her eight events, achieving five county qualifying times.

Nudging close to her best times in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle, plus the 200m individual medley, 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly, Millie swam new a PB of 29.11 in the 50m freestyle, where she placed a superb 16th out of 31 competitors. Millie also lowered her time in the 100m backstroke to 1:14.26, with another strong swim.

Jacob Briers achieved five county qualifying times, set three new PBs and equalled a fourth with a versatile display across multiple strokes in the 14yrs age group. His best finish of eight races came in the 200m breaststroke with fourth place, just three-tenths of a second off a bronze medal, after setting a new PB of 2:50.01.

Jacob took almost three seconds off his 100m freestyle time to touch home in 1:04.50 and achieved his third PB after shaving a few tenths off his 50m freestyle for a time of 30.10. He also equalled his 100m butterfly best with a 1:10.61 and was just half a second off his 200m individual medley PB.

James Cash, competing in the 12yrs age group, also came close to medalling with a pair of fourth place finishes in the 100m individual medley and 100m backstroke, the latter with a one-second PB of 1:21.84 which also met the county qualifying time. He narrowly missed more PBs in the 200IM, 50m and 100m freestyle.

In the girls 12yrs age group, Mieke McDonald shook off a cold which hampered her performances on the first day to return to the pool in style on the Sunday to set three PBs. In the 100m backstroke, she took a second of her previous mark with 1:23.28 and followed it with new best times in the 100m freestyle and 100m individual medley.

Mieke also achieved four county qualifying times over the weekend.

Making the most of her single race at the Derventio meet, Kendra Greenwood-Covell smashed her 50m freestyle personal best, lopping a full second of her previous time to finish in 32.31.

Eloise Walker competed in four races in the 15/16yrs age group, coming close to her best times in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly, while also putting in spirited performances in the 100m freestyle and 100IM, despite limited training hours in recent weeks due to illness. She achieved county qualifying times in both the 50m events.

Deepings Swimming Club’s new head coach Sam Peeroo was thrilled by the team’s first outing of the 2022/23 season.

“Competing this early in the season is tough, as we’re not long back in the water and in a heavy workload,” she said. “For so many swims to result in new personal bests and times close to PBs is just fantastic. I’m very proud of their achievements.”