Youngsters Battle Bravely At Bexley In KJL

A strong team of 28 swimmers from City of Canterbury made the journey along the A2 to Crook Log pool at Bexley on Saturday 13 th September for Round 2 of this season’s Division 1 Kent Junior League. The KJL, designed for up and coming swimmers aged 9 -13 years, gives the competitors valuable experience in participating as a team, and Canterbury were looking to consolidate a well earned third place at Sevenoaks in the first round of the competition in June.

During an extremely competitive evening’s swimming in the customary highly charged atmosphere of a KJL fixture, Canterbury exceeded their performance in Round 1 by finishing in the top 3 in no less than 33 out of the 53 races on the programme ( 13 first places, 6 second places and 14 third ).

Despite stiff competition from the other teams present ( Bexley, Sevenoaks, Thanet, RTW Monson and Beckenham) our squad of young swimmers showed tremendous determination and fantastic team spirit to amass a total of 206 points, enough to put them comfortably in third place behind Thanet and Beckenham.

The first 18 events produced a staggering 14 PBs from Canterbury swimmers with individual first places on the evening going to: Charlie Champs (Boys 12/U 100m Fly (PB)), Cameron Foreman (Boys 12/U 100m Backstroke (PB)), Jamie Woodard(Boys 11/U 50m Butterfly), Eleanor Weymouth(Girls 10yrs 50m Backstroke and Girls 10yrs 50m Breaststroke), Liam Drew(Boys 13/U 100m Freestyle, Erin Walsh(Girls 12/U 100m Breaststroke (PB)), Oliver Kilbey(Boys12/U 100m Freestyle) and Sophie Weymouth(Girls 13/U 100m Backstroke). The very strong Boys 12/U Relay team of Cameron Foreman, Benedict Esdale, Charlie Champs and Oliver Kilby carried on where they left off in Round 1 by cruising to victory in both the Boys 12/U 4x50m Medley Relay as well as the Boys 12/U 4x50m Freestyle Relay to gain the team more maximum points.

Canterbury’s crop of good relay swimmers was again evident as Reece Parsons, Alfie Goldsmith, Charlie Champs and Liam Drew claimed the top spot in the Boys 13/U 4x50m Freestyle relay. Not to be outdone by the boys, however, were the Girls 9/10 4x25m Freestyle team of Phoebe Goldsmith, Bethan Morgan, Victoria Champs and Eleanor Weymouth who were similarly victorious. There was also a second place finish for the Girls 13/U 4x50m Medley team of Sophie Weymouth, Erin Walsh, Katie French and Bethany Seaman with the boys’ team of Alfie Goldsmith, Oliver Kilbey, Reece Parsons and Liam Drew in the male version of the event also finishing in the same position. Third places were earned by the Girls 12/U 50m Medley team of Chiara Brindle, Erin Walsh, Sophie Wilmshurt and Simone Ward. The same combination also went on to finish fourth in the 4x50m Freestyle relay.

The Girls 11/U 4x25m Freestyle team and 4x25m Medley team of Lucy Morgan, Jess Devereux, Honoury Cheung , and Eleanor Weymouth together with the Boys 11/U 4x25m Freestyle team of Jamie Woodard, Daniel Westbrook, Stuart Lindsay and Barney Howard also earned the team points with creditable fourth spots. Individual PBs on the evening were swum by the following: Sophie Weymouth and Liam Drew( both in the 13/U 100m I.M.), Victoria Champs(Girls 10yr 50m Fly and 10yr 50m Freestyle), Rory Howard( Boys 10yr 50m Fly and Boys 10yr 50m Freestyle), Jess Devereux(Girls 11/U 50m Freestyle), Stuart Lindsay(Boys 11/U 50m Freestyle), Erin Walsh(Girls 12/U 100m Backstroke), Daniel Westbrook(Boys 11/U 50m Breaststroke), Lucy Morgan(Girls 11/U 100m I.M.), Jamie Woodard(Boys 11/U 100m I.M.), Benedict Esdale(Boys 12/U 100m Breaststroke), Reece Parsons(Boys 13/U 100m Butterfly), Honoury Cheung(Girls 11/U 50m Backstroke) and David Jones(Boys 10yr 50m Breaststroke).

The final event of the evening, the mixed squadron relay, produced its traditional mixture of excitement and cacophony of noise, and saw Canterbury consolidate its overall third place.

On an enjoyable evening for the squad a special mention should go to two members of the team: firstly, 9 year old Bethan Morgan, who was called up to the team at extremely short notice and whose first Kent Junior League gala this was. Her presence enabled the club to field a Girls 9/10 Relay team in both Freestyle and Medley, thereby picking up a total of 9 points that would otherwise have been lost: and secondly, to Samuel Wilmshurst, who went with the team all the way to Crook Log and had to wait for 52 events before competing in his one race, the squadron relay! His dedication helped the team to third place and 4 points.

Finally, our thanks go to all those parents, both on the balcony and poolside for their support and assistance. It is much appreciated by the swimmers.