On a cold, stormy Tuesday evening (14th Jan), when the rest of the world were safely tucked up indoors, two intrepid Bishop’s Stortford Swimming Club members, Kaia Phillips and Eleanor Mason headed off to Borehamwood for the 800m Freestyle event of the Swim England Hertfordshire County Championships. The trip and the 32 length swim proved worth it as both got personal best times, with Kaia taking Gold in the 14 Yrs Age Group and Eleanor placing 8th in the 16Yrs & Over age group.
They were back again this weekend, but this time as part of a 46 strong squad of swimmers who managed to match last weekend’s outstanding performances. BSSC’s youngest two competitors, 10-year olds Ethan David-Tostevin and Zoe Opiyo, both reached multiple event finals and the squad added an amazing twenty four medals (8 Gold, 5 Silver, 11 Bronze) to the 23 from the weekend before.
The County finalists (50/100m events), top 8 finishers (200/400/800m events) and medallists were:
- Women 800m Free: Gold Kaia Phillips (14 Yrs), 8th Eleanor Mason (16Yrs/Over)
- Men 50m Breaststroke: Bronze James Gisborne (15 Yrs), 4th Bryn Couser (16Yrs/Over), 5th Leo Suo-Saunders (12 Yrs), 6th Oliver Gisborne (12 Yrs)
- Women 50m Back: Gold Kaia Phillips (14 Yrs) & Mia Carter (16Yrs/Over), 5th Freya Reilly (15 Yrs), 6th Laura Hull (15 Yrs), 7th Kirsty Neill (13 Yrs)
- Men 50m Free: Bronze Callum Cox (14 Yrs – Ware) & James Gisborne (15 Yrs), 6th Ethan David-Tostevin (10/11 Yrs), 7th Leo Suo-Saunders (12 Yrs)
- Women 50m Free: Silver Alice Longman (13 Yrs), Bronze Kaia Phillips (14 Yrs), 5th Zoe Opiyo (10/11 Yrs) & Lilian Opiyo (14 Yrs), 6th Meisha Trend-Evans (14 Yrs)
- Men 200m Free: 4th Callum Cox (14 Yrs) & James Gisborne (15 Yrs), 6th Tain Phillips (12 Yrs), 7th Jago Derrington (14 Yrs) & Mehdi El Mansar (16Yrs/Over), 8th Brandon Macdonald-Williams (12 Yrs)
- Women 200m Breast: Gold Kirsty Neill (13 Yrs), 7th Hannah Robinson (12 Yrs)
- Women 50m Breast: Silver Kirsty Neill (13 Yrs), Bronze Alice Longman (13 Yrs) & Lauren Gore (14 Yrs), 8thCatherine Clune (12 Yrs)
- Men 50m Fly: Gold Callum Cox (14 Yrs), Bronze Callum Davis (16Yrs/Over), 8th Ethan David-Tostevin (10/11 Yrs)
- Women 100m IM: Gold Kirsty Neill (13 Yrs), Silver Millie Fields (16Yrs/Over), Bronze Kaia Phillips (14 Yrs), 4th Jessie Fields (14 Yrs), 8th Zoe Opiyo (10/11 Yrs)
- Men 100m IM: Bronze Leo Suo-Saunders (12 Yrs), 6th Tain Phillips (12 Yrs), 7th Callum Davis (16Yrs/Over)
- Women 200m Free: Gold Kaia Phillips (14 Yrs), Bronze Alice Longman (13 Yrs) & Millie Fields (16Yrs/Over), 5th Meisha Trend-Evans (14 Yrs), 8th Zoe Opiyo (10/11 Yrs) & Lilian Opiyo (14 Yrs)
- Men 200m Breast: Gold James Gisborne (15 Yrs), Silver Bryn Couser (16Yrs/Over), 5th Oliver Gisborne (12 Yrs) & Nick Botha (16Yrs/Over)
- Women 400m Free: Silver Kaia Phillips (14 Yrs), 4th Kirsty Neill (13 Yrs)
