ULVERSTON Swimming Club see incredible performances lead to competing in the North West Winter Championships.
After recording their impressive times in previous months gathered together at the Manchester Aquatics pool, the club was ready for a return to the water.
All of the members acquitted themselves well and came away with highly satisfactory results and times, some of which qualified them to National standard.
Outstanding, was the all-round performance of Indya Sharp, who, over the two days swam in seven events and qualified for six finals.
Her greatest success came in the 50m Breaststroke where off the block she had a good start in the heats and produced a solid piece of sprinting that was a little off the pace but still within her game plan and brought her a 5th place in 34.02 and that coveted spot in the final.
The final gave her the chance to use all her experience, talent, and skills and full of confidence she burst off the block and out of transition she quickly found her rhythm and surged into the mix with four challengers from Manchester and the Wirral. Matching them stroke for stroke Sharp drew on all her reserves and stormed through the pressure zone yielding not an inch.
Hitting the pads together in a blanket finish, so close, that the issue was settled with the unbelievable result that Sharp had to settle for Silver, missing out by one hundredth of a second in 33.42 after having done the swim of a lifetime. Ethan Alpress also came up with an impressive set of results taking part in six events and qualifying for three finals, all at Backstroke.
Just short of a P.B. in the 50m sprint he made 7th place, but then in the 100 and 200 middle distance events he produced outstanding swims to take 5th place in both events. Amelia Mardel had a somewhat frustrating time where despite some brilliant performances in seven events she just managed to qualify for one final. This was the 100 Freestyle and, in the heats, she showed loads of power and energy whilst making strong challenges.
In the final run in she clocked a 59.69 and a 5th place to take her into the final. Then it was another race of the power houses and Mardel had to work hard to keep up the pace.
Hitting the finish, she found herself in a highly commendable position of 6th place. Gyoktug Molla had a fine meet having qualified for five events he had some satisfying results and in the 200 Butterfly he excelled with an 8th place which put him in the final where he responded with a performance to be proud of moving up to 7th place and taking three seconds off his heat time, lowering it to 2:18.73.
Two other swimmers Jamie Leigh Tyson and Lily Smith both had similar results, entered in four events and each reaching a final.
Tyson was very unlucky, just missing out on the medals taking 4th place both in the heats and final of the 100 Individual Medley following a great all-round effort.
Smith gave an outstanding display of sprinting in the difficult 50m Butterfly but never the less having made the final in 8th place went on to grab a 7th place with a superb time of 30.20 to complete a great weekend for the Club.
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