MORE than 3,000 swimmers from all over the UK competed in one of the best ever national age groups swimming championships at the Ponds Forge Pool in Sheffield last week.

Among the 7,500 entries were six swimmers from the Kelly College Swim Squad, experiencing their first National Championships.

First up was the girls 13/14 years 4x50m freestyle relay. The team of Beth Campbell Boseley (29.83), Louise Amery (31/09), Hayley Smith (30.98) and Sarah Thomas (29.04) produced a personal best time of 2.00.94 to move up one place on their nationally ranked position to 15th.

Nye Levett competed in the 12-year age group and gained invaluable experience during the competition. Nye competed in five events and produced a personal best time in both the 50m butterfly (34.12) and the 200m freestyle (2.22.18). Nye managed to place in the top 20 for his age in the British age group category awards (BAGCATS).

Sarah Thomas also had a busy week with five events to compete in, the first of which was the 14-16 year age group 200m butterfly, where she swam to a new personal best time of 2.33.64.

Her other events include the 100m and 200m backstroke, 100m butterfly and the 400m individual medley (5.28.0).

Sarah will have a further two years in this age category as the new age bands have been changed from age on 31 December to age on the last day of competition.

Beth Campbell Boseley had to wait patiently for her only main event, the 200m freestyle, which was on the fifth day of the competition. Beth produced an outstanding swim to finish second in her heat, knocking a clear two seconds off her best time in 2.16.48.

The jubilation from the Kelly Squad was short-lived as Beth's anxiety to get the race started meant she was disqualified for moving on the blocks.

The national championships work to a one-start rule, which means that you only get one chance, and if you have moved on the blocks prior to the start signal then you are informed of your disqualification after the event. Beth's time would have placed her 11th in the UK.

Another disappointment for the Kelly Squad was the absence of breaststroke specialist Jemma Coates, who was taken ill after returning from the swim squad training camp in Lanzarote. Jemma had hoped to compete at the Nationals and her ranking in the 200m breaststroke places her with a good shot at the medals.