Diddy Leage Round 2, Bletchley Open

A visit to Leighton Buzzard for the second round of the Junior League saw the club finish in third place behind St Ives and Flitwick. 

The 9 years old relay teams were unstoppable with both the boys and girls winning the medley and freestyle races. 

This was likely since the 9 year olds also did well in their individual events. Douglas Holland won the freestyle and backstroke races, the first one in a new personal best time. Loren Keighley won the breaststroke and butterfly, both in personal best times and Elliot Moulder won the breaststroke and butterfly in personal best times. 

Frances Merridan, in the 11 years group, won both the butterfly and freestyle, the first being in a personal best time. 

Other personal best times were set by Christine Houton and Ashling Baggaley in the breaststroke, Andrew Barton in the backstroke and Kirsten Baggaley in the butterfly. Devon Byrne and David Powley set personal best times in the freestyle events. 

Fifteen swimmers competed in the first Bletchley Open meet at Aylesbury and achieved 5^th in the visiting club league. Paul Harvey was the club’s top boy in 12^th position and Sarah Hpa was equal 4^th in the top girl league. 

Danielle Beaman, Alice Butler and Lauren Gillies all swam faster than the control time on each of their swims, set new personal best times and so gained ‘speeding tickets’. Speeding tickets were also gained and more personal best times set by Kirsten Baggaley, Chloe Errington and Thomas Moore in the freestyle and by Elliot Moulder in the backstroke. 

Thomas gained two firsts in personal best times for his other outings, while Paul Harvey had three wins and a second for his efforts. Evie Butler set personal best times in each of her swims, recording a gold, silver and bronze. Elizabeth Read also recorded personal best times with her swims and achieved a first, third and fourth. Ashling Baggaley set a personal best time in the backstroke and Chloe Errington also set her best times in the breaststroke and individual medley. Taylor Saunders improved her 100m and 200m freestyle times considerably and came third in the backstroke. 

Sarah Hpa gained gold medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events and consolidated her position with a silver and bronze in the individual medleys, one of them in a personal best time. Not to be outdone sister Rachel gained a gold in the 50m freestyle and added two silvers and a bronze. A gold was also won by Harry Simpson in the 50m butterfly. The squad was completed with Thomas Holian and Callum Moulder, who were just outside the medals with their swims.