COLCHESTER Swimming Club secured a top-three finish in the opening round of this year’s Essex ASA Age Group Championships, at Basildon.

The club’s swimmers impressed in six separate relay events, despite some of their youngest members competing at a county championship for the first time.

Colchester’s two BAGCAT (10/14) relay teams got things off to a flying start, after both made their finals.

The boys’ team of Jamie Coles, Alex Tinnion, Kirin Yeung and Alex Williamson won bronze, while the girls’ team of Isabella Tanenbaum, Kalya Aung, Asma Parker and Olivia Norman were fourth.

Colchester’s nine/ten freestyle team of Charlotte Norman, Molly Grieve, Aisha Parker and Eliza Robinson were sixth.

Naythan Aung, Ben Hardy, William Pestell and Cameron Newton were the boys’ 11/12 team that won bronze.

In the newly-combined 10/11 years age group, Sophie Freeman won silver and Ciara Wookey claimed bronze, in the 10/11yrs age group girls’ 100 metres butterfly.

Asma Parker won gold in the 12 years age group, where Eloise Sneddon claimed silver and Niamh Higgins was fourth.

There was a gold for Olivia Norman in the 13 year age category.

Arran Francis (silver, 16+ yrs 50m freestyle), Naythun Aung (gold, 11 year 50m backstroke), Ellie Duley (bronze, 15 year 50m butterfly) and Kaythi Aung (bronze, 17 yr+ 50m butterfly) also claimed medals.

On day two, Sophie Freeman and Charlotte Norman both made the podium, in the 10/11 years age group.

Sneddon won bronze in the 12 years while Olivia Norman claimed gold in the 13 years age group.

William Pestell produced a confident swim to win boys’ 100m IM bronze in a time of one minute 17.19 seconds.

Rory Bennett tied with a time of 31.79s in the 15 years 50m backstroke. He only narrowly missed out on a place in the final, despite clocking a personal best (PB) of 31.69s.

Ellie Duley (fourth, breaststroke), Chloe Rudkin (seventh, breaststroke), Phillppa Davenall (fifth, breaststroke), Thomas Grieve (seventh, IM) and Spencer Prior (fourth, IM) all competed in the 200m.

Despite injury, Martha Duley retained her 100m and 200m backstroke County Championship titles.

In the 200m IM, Freeman won bronze in the girls’ 10/11 years race while Parker claimed gold in the 12 year age group and Sneddon (12) won bronze.

Parker and Sneddon both made the podium in the 12 years 50m freestyle and Aung bagged bronze, in the boys’ 10/11 years 50m butterfly.

Other Colchester SC swimmers to compete: Kaythi Aung, Isabella Tanenbaum, Abbie Mccarthy, Charlotte Tree, Jack Howlett, Amber Jordan, Ross Jordan, Lotti Talbot, Jamie Coles, Kirin Yeung, Alex Tinnion, Cameron Newton, Kirin Yeung, Brogan Bates, William Marsh, Tom Lo, Nicholas Mitchell, Alex Cole, Timothy Kwok, Kai Cheng, Oscar Crofts, Patrick Warner, Alexander Williamson, Isaac Pavey, Christian Tilley, Charlotte Marven, Tara Bygrave, Bronte Jordan, Ana Victoria Anderson, Ruby Watson, Brittany Lodge, Esme MacGregor, Anola Jordan, Molly White, Alexandra Bygrave, Phoebe Crofts, Katie White, Laurence Chalk, Daniel Himsworth, Felix Szpakowski, Mark Milburn, Joe Tilley, Alex Cole, Arran Francis, Spencer Prior, Tom Grieve.

Top-six standings: 1 Romford Town 952.5; 2 Basildon Ph 732; 3 Colchester 593; 4 Chelmsford 558.5; 5 Harlow Pen 377; 6 Bor Redbridge 356.