GOTO RESULTS

Five swimmers represented Thanet Swim Club at the South East Region ASA Youth Championships 2006 at the Garrison 50m pool in Aldershot, Hampshire over the Bank Holiday weekend. It would have been six swimmers but for freak accident which prevented Ashley Thorpe from taking part, having just recently qualified for his first Regional Championships.

Katy Little, Sharnie Clements and Amy O'Connor, who are all 15, Jade Henson, 14, and Louise Whorlow, 16, were competing against the top swimmers from the South East Region Counties area and having qualified for so many events at the championships between them, they each displayed such an amazing amount of endeavour that it left Coach David Whorlow very proud to be able to count them amongst his charges.

Saturday kicked off with the long distance 800m Freestyle and Amy O'Connor got the proceedings underway for Thanet Swim Club and came in with a credible 7 th place finish in the 15 year olds. Louise Whorlow had a spectacular swim, knocking over 3 seconds off her personal best time as well as making a new National Youth Championship qualifying time, as she claimed the Bronze medal in the 16/17 year age group.

Sharnie Clements set off in the 100m Breaststroke at a blistering pace and finished her heat with a one second personal best time, breaking her Club records for both the 15/16 year and the Open age groups. The swim was that good that it left Sharnie in an unexpected pole position for the final later that session.

In the 200m Freestyle, 14 year old Jade Henson hit a new personal best time to finish 5 th in the 14 year olds. 15 year old Sharnie Clements was off her best mark, maybe with that final in her mind, and managed 25 th place in the 15 year olds. Katy Little put in a superb race to register new Club Records for both the 15/16 year and the Open age groups. Katy swam nearly a second inside her previous best time to gain a 7 th place start in the final later. Louise Whorlow also put in a best ever race, knocking nearly half a second off her best time to also claim a 7 th place start in the final for the 16/17 year age group.

Sharnie Clements took her place in the 100m Breaststroke final but could not quite find the form that took her there with such dominance and as it transpired, in a tight finish, there was less than half a second separating her from the Gold and Sharnie had to settle for the Bronze Medal, in what was still her 3 rd fastest ever swim in the event and a fantastic achievement.

In the 200m Freestyle finals, Katy Little improved on her 7 th place qualification to claim the 6 th place finish and Louise Whorlow maintained the same ranking in her final to claim 7 th place.

In the following session the Girls competed in the 200m Individual Medley, which is a tough way to have to finish to an exhausting day. Jade Henson conjured up enough to place her 5 th in the 14 year olds and Katy Little found the energy to claim 6 th place in the 15 year olds. Louise Whorlow was still managing to be near her best when she concluded the day with the 7 th place spot in the 16 year olds.

On Sunday, Jade Henson produced a great swim in the 100m Butterfly to claim a new long course personal best time and the 5 th place finish in the 14 year olds. Katy Little swam herself into the final later that session as the 3 rd place ranked swimmer.

The 400m Individual Medley followed and Jade Henson found herself working hard again to claim the 5 th place overall in the 14/15 year age group, making her 2 nd in the 14 year olds. Amy O'Connor was not quite hitting her best form and still produced a 6 th place finish in the 15 year olds. Louise Whorlow claimed herself the 6 th place overall in the 16/17 year age group making her 5 th place in the 16 year olds.

Katy Little raced in the 100m Butterfly final and improved on her qualification time to claim the 4 th place in the 14/15 year age group, making her 2 nd in the 15 year olds.

The day finished with the 400m Freestyle but these championships are clearly cramming too many races in such a short space of time with a definite detrimental effect on the swimmers who have worked so hard to qualify for more than one race. Amy O'Connor put in a great effort to get near her best time and gained 16 th place in the 15 year olds. Jade Henson was still able to produce a 9 th place finish in the 14 year olds after her long day and Sharnie Clements claimed the 10 th place finish in the 15 year olds, having sacrificed her 200m Breaststroke race to ensure she could produce a decent effort.

On Bank Holiday Monday, Sharnie Clements was not quite peaking in the 50m Freestyle as she came in 10 th in the 15 year olds. Katy Little showed the determination needed to make the final later that day, finishing as the 7 th placed swimmer.

Jade Henson was smack on her personal best when she qualified for the final of the 200m Butterfly as the 7 th placed swimmer in the 14/15 year group. Louise Whorlow was also staking her claim in the final for the 16/17 year age group as she entered it in 5 th place.

In the 50m Freestyle final, Katy Little ended up just outside her best time but moved up one place in the start rankings to finish in 6 th place which earned her 4 th place in the 15 year olds. The 200m Butterfly finals proved to be a step too far for both Thanet girls. Given only the shortest of time between their qualifying heats and the finals themselves, Jade Henson still claimed the 8 th place and 3 rd in the 14 year olds whilst Louise Whorlow maintained her 5 th place ranking in the 16/17 year old final, giving her the 3 rd place amongst the 16 year olds.

The last event of the 3 days was the 100m Freestyle. Katy Little, ever determined until the end, then produced a new personal best time to reach the final of for the 14/15 year group in the 5 th place ranking. Sharnie Clements came home with the 15 th place finish in the 15 year olds. Louise Whorlow somehow matched that in the 16 years olds and clearly the schedule of events was taking it's toll on these youngsters.

Katy Little swam the final of the 100m Freestyle in yet another new Personal Best Time breaking her Club records for both the 15/16 year and the Open age groups. Katy not only moved up the final ranking to claim the 4 th place finish, but ended the exhausting weekend with a qualifying time for the National Youth Championships in August.