The following swimmers have been selected to represent Team Mercia in the Midland Age Group relays:

Felicity Dempster=100f/c, 200f/c, Medley

Finn Linton 100f/c, 100 Medley, 200f/c reserve

Harry Manship 100f/c, 200f/c, Medley

Georgia Kidd 100 f/c, 200f/c, Medley

Jack Dennis 100 f/c, Medley

Sophie Hodgson 100f/c reserve

Please let me know if you will be available at g.nash@btinternet.com

Do you think you have what it takes to become a performance swimmer? If so, read on... The Club has arranged for a one-off session with Senior Performance Coach, Graham Nash, where swimmers from Reception and Junior Development squads who are committed to progressing can come along and have a taste of what it is liked to train at performance level. The session will take place at King Henry VIII pool on Saturday 1 June from 4.45 until 6pm. Swimmers should arrive in good time in order to participate in the structured poolside warm-up which will form an integral part of the session. To sign up for this session, please tick off your name on the events selection page. Following on from this open session, we aim to run a similar session each month to which individual Reception and JD swimmers will be invited if they have met the attendance target for the previous month. Details of the sessions will be posted on the website and those swimmers qualifying to attend will be asked to confirm via the site's events selection facility.

To reserve your place click here and select 'Performance Session'.

When Team Mercia put on a training session Leamington spa along with the other clubs have to commit to how many swimmers we will be sending which is why we ask you to tick the swimmers name off on the selected swimmer list.

Team Mercia have to know how many swimmers will be attending to ensure that we book the correct number of lanes and to ensure that finacially we can afford to pay for the pool hire.

It is for this reason that once you tick your name off the fee will have to be paid, even if the swimmer fails to turn up.

Exceptions to paying have to be agreed by the committee.

Can we remind everyone about the easyfundraising website, sign up by using the link below or click on from the LSASC website. It's the easiest way to help raise funds for the club without putting your hand in your pocket. It's free to join and they won't ask you for any credit card details. Just your name and email address along with a password.

Once you have registered you can shop using the links on the easyfundraising website to take you to the retailer and every time you shop LSASC get a little and at no extra cost to you. Fantastic!

Go on sign up today at http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/lsasc or use the link from LSASC website and ‘click’ on the ‘YES! Sign me up...’ See if you can be the top fundraiser! If your worried that you will forget, sign up to the find and remind service that easyfundraising provides. For further information click here

A home draw for the second round of Junior League produced a full and noisy balcony, The team fought hard and showed their strength once again in the relays.

The nine year old relay teams had success with the girls of Elise Edgar, Amalia Midstaeter, Sarah Timms and Annabelle Cox winning their freestyle race whilst the boys Harrison Astill, Samuel Manship, George Hughes, Oscar Fitzpatrick and Sebastian Dibb gained max points in both relays, leaving the opposition trailing nine seconds behind. Harrison and Oscar showed great determination in their individuals both taking first place.

A great team effort saw Leamington secure 33 top three finishes helping the club to take second place just behind Coventry.  Abby Jolley,10, took first place in the 50m backstroke but leading by example were captains Aran Shuttlewood and Teigan Parker both having two great individual races each producing superb pb’s and top marks. Aran slashed two seconds off his 50m fly taking his time down to 34.51 whilst Teigan recorded 29.99 in the 50m free.

Aran and Teigan teamed up with Derry Linton, Mollie Dibb, Megan Stanton, Connell Parker, Emil Midstaeter, Ben Court and Edward Jolly showing the twelve year olds experience with outstanding performances in the relays and powering home first in all four races.

Significant pb’s from Harry Spalding, 11, reducing his 50m breast time by 2 seconds to 47.05, Freddie Quelch in the 50m free slicing 5 seconds off his best time to 34.97 and Derry Linton cutting 2 seconds from her 50m back pb recording 36.73.

Also a big thank you to Amy Edgar for standing in at the last moment for the 10 year old girls.

Finn Linton,14, and Ruby O’Brien,15 both travelled to Sheffield to compete as part of Team Mercia in the Derventio Open Meet on 11^th – 12^th May.

Finn picked up pb’s in the 100m backstroke and the 100m free recording 1.02.86 whilst Ruby took her 100m freestyle down to 1.03.60.

12 Leamington Youth swimmers achieved the tough qualifying times needed to compete at the Midlands Youth Championships held in Corby. Competing as Team Mercia, the talented youths upped their game generating exceptional performances with a hard weekend of racing. County breaststroke Champion Ellen Stone’s (16) superb racing earned her finalist places in all three distances showing her impressive ability. Also finishing in the top seven in the region by powering into the 50m backstroke final was 17 year old Sarah Smith.

In the fifteen year category Ruby O’Brien clocked up PB’s in all five events, knocking a huge eight seconds off her 400m time. In the same event Amy Pettigrew slashed fourteen seconds from her best time. Hannah Pickett competed in both fly and back events creating great times in both. Whilst Nick Payne, qualifying in the nick of time for the 200m free sliced 4 seconds off to 2.12.15.

Leamington’s top qualifier, Hannah Greenshield (16) competing in six events popped out PB’s in both 100m fly and free.

Well done Sarah Brades, Jonty Cartwright, Peter Clarke, and Ellen Stone all helping Team Mercia in the relays.

Leamington youngsters took to the water at Walsall’s pool for the first round of Junior League. For some of the swimmers this was their first competitive gala and for most, the first time in a 33 metre pool.

Leamington finished in second place, thanks to the strong relay teams. Annabelle Cox, Elise Edgar, Sarah Timms and Amalia Midstaeter produced two first place finishes in the nine year relays, and a storming last leg in the boy’s medley from Harrison Astill took the boys, Samuel Manship, Sebastian Dibb and George Hughes into first place.

In the ten year category, again top marks for the girls in both relays, Daisy O’Brien, Abby Jolley, Evie Nicholas and a cracking breaststroke leg from Connie Hodge in the medley. Success continued in the individuals events, dropping only 2 points from four races. Abby securing first place in the fly and back events.

The girls 2PAG relay (Amalia, Annabelle, Abby, Evie, Lauren Cox, Molly Quelch, Derry, Teigan) dominated their race from the start, powering into first place some 6 seconds ahead of second. Lauren, 11, later took first place in the backstroke.

Clocking up easy victories in the 12 year relays were Derry Linton, Mollie Dibb, Megan Stanton and Teigan Parker. Teigan also secured maximum points in her individual free and breaststroke events along with Aran Shuttlewood in the butterfly.

The coaches wanted to say a huge well done to everyone who swam last night.

Next Junior League date is Saturday 11th May.

Leamington swimmers Teigan Parker and Kieran Curran both netted triple gold at Nuneaton’s Spring Open meet. Parker swept the board in all three breaststroke events dropping a huge 4 seconds off her 100m time to 1.22.34, also gaining a further three Midland Qualifying times (MQT) in the 100, 200m back and 200m breaststroke bringing her total to a fantastic seven.  Whilst Curran powered to success in the sprints 50m fly, 50m back and producing a flying 28.48 in the 50m freestyle final, later adding silver in the 50m breast.  Kieran finished a great weekend of racing slashing his pb to shreds in the 100m and 200m backstroke events securing MQT in both. Warwickshire breaststroke Champion, Ellen Stone took gold in the 200m event.

For a full report click here

The first day of the Warwickshire Championships held at Coventry baths on 3rd March saw Leamington swimmers secure 60 long course pbs. Sixteen year old Ellen Stone’s impressive form continued with another outstanding performance in the 200m breaststroke, slashing an incredible 5 seconds off her LC pb to 2.47.87, and securing first place to become County Champion. Ellen’s sights will be on the Nationals in July with all breaststroke distances within a grasp of the tough QT’s. Ellen also helped team mates, Hannah Greenshield, Ruby O’Brien and Sarah Brades to third place in the medley relay. Only a few tenths separated Maddie Spalding, 16, Hannah Pickett, 15, and Hannah Greenshield, 16, in the heats of the 50m backstroke event, rewarding the trio with their places in the final. The tight contest saw all three girls generating new pb’s with Greenshield finishing strongest to snatch third place, with Pickett collecting gold for her age group.

Jonty Cartwright,18, stamped his mark on both the 50m free and 100m fly, swimming his way into both finals whilst in the age group Sarah Smith, 16 took bronze with a new pb in the 100m fly with 1.11.72. In the 12 year category Teigan Parker secured second place in the 200m breaststroke with 3.08.52 and Luke Williams finished second in age group for the 50m free in 30.95. Congratulations to Georgia Kidd, 13 and Amy Pettigrew, 15 both achieving Midland Qualifying times for the 200m freestyle.

A special mention to Megan McDonald and Grace Cain both girls competed in the gruelling 1500m race.

Leamington swimmers travelled to Boldmere competing in a weekend gala where both Level2 and Level3 events run concurrently. The squad clocked up an impressive 90 pbs helping to secure 29 medals.

For a full report click here

Redditch Swimming Club were hosts to the second round of the National Arena League on Saturday night and with the risk of repeating myself, we had once again been drawn against both large and extremely tough clubs of City of Derby, City of Hereford, Redditch, Leicester Sharks and Abingdon.

However, spirits were lifted after a great opening event from sixteen year old Sarah Brades, earning a terrific second place in the open age 200m IM. Thirteen year old Harry Manship had a busy night, swimming in eight races spread over three age groups. His superb performance earned Leamington maximum points in both the 100m breaststroke and fly events and with team mates Finn Linton, Philip Warren and Kieran Curran helped gain second places in both freestyle and medley relays. 

But the competition proved a little too challenging and after eighteen events we were lying in sixth place, although there was still hope, as the bottom three clubs were only separated by seven points.  Going into the next block of races every point was vital and Leamington began a point see-saw with Leicester. Moving into the final eight races Leicester had just edged ahead with a 2 point lead. 

The gala finished with the usual flurry of relays supported by an enthusiastic balcony and the final points call confirmed that Leamington had snatched fifth place by one point.  Well done to all swimmers, next round is Saturday December 8th.