Deepings squad impress at Swim England Masters National Championships

The majority of the squad were competing in their first National champs and seized their opportunity on the big stage by combining for 61 new personal bests.

Masters swimming is divided into age groups, starting with 18-24-year-olds, and rises in five-year increments, with relays organised by combined ages. The championships took place in the short course (25 metre) pool at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

The team’s first medal came in the women’s 4x100 individual medley relay, where the quartet of Jacqui Crockett (backstroke), Alice Grant (breaststroke), Bethany Walker (butterfly) and Nicola Lumb (freestyle) produced four excellent legs to finish third in the 160+yrs age category.

Competing in the two distance freestyle events, James Abbott produced massive personal bests to clinch bronze in the 25-29yrs 800m and fourth place in the 1,500m with another PB.

Neil Shepherd, racing in the 1,500m 45-49yrs age group, gave the club another top 10 finish, touching home sixth with a new PB.

Also hitting the heights in the distance events was Alice Grant, Deepings’ assistant coach. Alice was a model of consistency over the 32 lengths to break the Lincolnshire County Record in the 55-59yrs age group, finishing in 13th. She also finished 13th in the 100m freestyle and 16th in the 50m freestyle.

Meanwhile, in the 1,500m, Alice Pinney touched home in seventh in the 18-24yrs group, a brilliant accomplishment after returning to the pool during the summer following a severe leg break which left her on crutches for more than four months.

Alice had another excellent swim in the 800m freestyle to finish 11th and followed that with 26th in the 200m freestyle. Also in the 200m freestyle, teammate Helena Waters (18-24yrs) finished 23rd, with Bethany Walker (25-29yrs) was 22nd, Nicola Lumb (30-34yrs) 19th and Kerys Arundell (35-39yrs) 15th.

In the men’s 200m freestyle, James and Neil were back in action, finishing 29th and 22nd respectively. Chris Pratt, in his first nationals race, fought off strong competition to come 10th in the 35-39yrs category in a new PB.

Chris’s best results came in the 200IM and 200m butterfly with a pair of fourth place finishes. Each were new personal bests, swum in under three minutes. He also finished 15th in the 100m butterfly with his fourth personal best.

Further top 10 finishes were achieved by Helena Waters in the 200m backstroke (8th), Paul Smith-Shelton in the 200m breaststroke (9th), Tony Baskeyfield in the 50m butterfly (7th), 50m and 100m freestyle (10th) and Jacqui Crockett in the 50m freestyle (9th).

Showing outstanding squad unity and belief, Deepings produced a series of excellent performances in the relay events.

The mixed 4x100m freestyle team of Helena Waters, Alice Pinney, Tony Baskeyfield and James Abbott came fourth in the 72+yrs group, with the 160+yrs team of Mark Chiva, Nicola Lumb, Bethany Walker and Paul Smith-Shelton finishing seventh.

A pair of 10th place finishes were claimed in the 4x50 mixed freestyle by the 120+yrs team of Chris Pratt, Nicola Lumb, Bethany Walker and James Abbott, and the 200+yrs team of Mark Chiva, Jacqui Crockett, Alice Grant and Paul Smith-Shelton.

Deepings Swimming Club head coach Sam Peeroo said: “What a fantastic weekend of racing by our Masters. Everyone took their opportunity with some outstanding performances and personal bests. A special thanks to Kerys Arundell for organising everything, including the accommodation, and making sure everyone got to their races on time, despite her own disappointment after getting injured during the 400IM.”

Competing for Deepings Swimming Club at Masters National were: Helena Waters, Neil Shepherd, Alice Pinney, Alice Grant, Jacqui Crockett, Bethany Walker, Nicola Lumb, James Abbott, Chris Pratt, Mark Chiva, Paul Smith-Shelton, Tony Baskeyfield, Neil Shepherd, Graeme Abrahams.