Deepings swimmer Alex strikes gold at Regional Championships

The four Deepings Swimming Club members who qualified for the 2019 East Midlands Age Group Championships certainly made their mark on the big two-day event at the Corby International Pool at the weekend.
By Bob French
Published 2nd May 2019, 10:32 BST
Updated 2nd May 2019, 10:33 BST
The Deepings quartet at the 2019 East Midlands Regional Championships. From left they are Alex Sadler, Jessica OHerlihy, Molly Briers and Lilly Tappern.The Deepings quartet at the 2019 East Midlands Regional Championships. From left they are Alex Sadler, Jessica OHerlihy, Molly Briers and Lilly Tappern.
The Deepings quartet at the 2019 East Midlands Regional Championships. From left they are Alex Sadler, Jessica OHerlihy, Molly Briers and Lilly Tappern.

Jessica O’Herlihy, Molly Briers, Lilly Tappern and Alex Sadler competed against the best swimmers from across Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire and between them reached seven finals, won two medals and broke two club records.

Alex Sadler set the ball rolling on day one when claiming the bronze medal in the 12yrs 100m butterfly final in a new personal best (PB) of 1:13.67.

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He was just outside his best times in his other four events, the 50m and 200m freestyle, and 50m and 200m backstroke.

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Thirteen-year-old Jessica O’Herlihy competed in three events on the first day with her best effort coming in the 50m butterfly. She placed fifth in the final in a new PB of 31.97.

Also making finals on day one was Lilly Tappern. In the 11yrs 200m individual medley final she finished sixth in a new club record time of 2:46.48 while in the 200m butterfly she was close to medalling with an excellent fourth-place finish.

Completing the first day. Molly Briers (13) set a new long course PB of 2:54.34 in the 200m butterfly where she was within touching distance of making the final .

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Sadler swam in another five events on day two and took pride of place in the 200m butterfly with a gold medal swim in 2:42.29 - a time that smashed his PB by a staggering 10 seconds.

He also made the 50m butterfly final and set a new PB of 33.62 for seventh place.

Tappern also took her superb form into day two, setting a brace of personal bests in the 100m butterfly. She swam 1:16.39 in the heats and followed that with a 1:14.76 in the final to finish fifth – her second Deepings club record of the weekend.

The personal bests kept flowing with Briers setting a new benchmark of 1:17.05 in the 100m butterfly and O’Herlihy completing her weekend of action with new PBs in the 50m backstroke (35.31) and 100m butterfly (1:15.29).

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Lynn Chapman, Deepings Swimming Club head coach, said: “The team did the club and themselves proud with some outstanding performances from each of them. They should all be looking to use this experience as a springboard for the future. If they work hard they have a chance of competing at a high level over the next few years.”