Wrekin score big with Championship haul
A Shropshire swimming club are celebrating after bringing home a haul of medals from a regional tournament.
Wrekin College Swimming Club, based in Wellington, enjoyed considerable success when they part in the West Midland Swimming Championships earlier this month.
Their swimmers brought home a total of 37 medals, including 16 gold from the tournament held in Coventry.
Of those, eight were won by Zara Leleux, aged 16 from Telford, and seven by Will Slawson, 20 from Shrewsbury.
Coach David Clarke and Rachel Reilly said they were ‘very proud’ at how the swimmers performed.
Clarke said: “They all swam so well and produced some fantastic times in the heats and even faster times in the finals.
“Because of their performances several of our swimmers are now in a great position to qualify for the British or English National championships at the end of July.
“This is all down to the hard work and hours that they have put into their training that has put them into this position and a great example to the younger club swimmers to look up to and take inspiration from.”
The championships was held at Coventry’s 50 metre swimming pool over the course of two weekends between April 29 and May 1, and May 6 to 7.
Wrekin’s swimmers also brought home 12 silver medals and nine bronze.
Leleux won gold in the 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m front crawl, the 100m and 200m fly, the 100m medley and bronze in the 50m fly. She achieved five new personal best times during the swims.
Slawson meanwhile won gold in the 200m and 400m medley, the 100m and 200m breast, the 100m fly and 200m and 400m front crawl. He achieved two personal best times during the tournament.
The most personal-bests was split between Harriet Smith, 13 from Newport, and Anya Preece, 14, from Shrewsbury, who got 10 each.
Wrekin has been running as a club since 2009. It now has 46 swimmers who swim at the club, based at Wrekin College, while 12 volunteers run it.
The club was established for swimmers in the area to train and compete seriously to achieve their swimming goals.
It offers morning, evening and weekend training in the pool alongside gym work. For more information visit www.wrekincollegesc.co.uk
