FIFTEEN swimmers from Tavistock Swimming Club competed in the annual City of Plymouth Gala at Central Park, Plymouth.
They swam superbly to achieve 65 top five finishes in the 91 events contested, which include 15 gold, 21 silver and nine bronze medals. They also achieved five City of Plymouth records and 73 personal best times.
Jake France competed in five events in the boys 10 years old age group and achieved four PBs and two top five finishes in the 50m backstroke and 200m breaststroke. Gemma Arundel and Bethany Thompson in the girls 10 yrs age group saw Gemma gain personal best times in her two events, while Bethany in 10 events, earned three top five finishes and 6PBs.
In the girls 11 yrs age group, Emily Attfield achieved personal bests in all the 14 events in which she competed resulting in six medals – silver medals in the 50m, 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle events a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle.
James Anderson competed in three events in the boys 12 years age group with three PBs and a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke.
Chloe Marks competed in nine events in the girls 13 years age group with personal best times in every event and gained top five finishes in the 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 200m and 400m freestyle. In the boys 13 yrs age group Pete Jarman swam in seven events, which produced three personal best times, three3 top five finishes, and a bronze medal in the 1,500m freestyle. Cameron McGurk also competed in seven winning the 50m freestyle and butterfly, second in the 100m freestyle, butterfly and IM and third in the 50m and 100m backstroke.
In the 11 events that Kieran Rookes competed, he achieved 10 personal best times and 11 medals – four golds in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke and 100m IM, six silvers – 50m freestyle, backstroke and butterfly, 100m backstroke, 200m freestyle and IM, and one bronze medal.
Also among the medals were Harriet Edwards in the girls 14 yrs age group who won a silver medal in the 800m Freestyle; in the boys 15 yrs Kameron Brimble won silver in the 50m butterfly while Matt Edwards in the boys 16 yrs age groups won eight events: the 50m backstroke and butterfly, 100m freestyle and backstroke, 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyle and 400m IM.
In the boys 17 Nathaniel Rookes won bronze medals in the 50m & 100m Backstroke & 200m Breaststroke; Mike Best won a silver medal in the 50m breaststroke and Gareth Williams a silver in the 50m Butterfly.
The men's open relay team – Mike Best, Matt Edwards, Nathaniel Rookes and Gareth Williams – won the highly competitive relay event in a new City of Plymouth record time. New City of Plymouth gala records were also set by Kieran Rookes in the boys 13 yrs 50m breaststroke and Matt Edwards in the boys 16 yrs 50m butterfly, 400m & 1500m freestyle.
In the overall BAGCAT awards, Kieran Rookes won the boys 13 yr age group, Chloe Marks was fifth in the 13 year old girls and Emily Attfield was sixth in the 11 yr old girls' age group.