News - Counties Press

Maxwell are crowned Top Club at Counties

Following two more intense weekends of competition, Maxwell Swim Club was crowned as the Top Club in the Oxfordshire and North Buckinghamshire County Championships for the fourth year in a row. With points awarded for the top-eight places in each event this demonstrates a great strength in depth at the Club, with many swimmers contributing to the overall success of the Club. Well done to all of the swimmers who competed.

There were many great performances, far too many to mention individually, but some of the highlights certainly included two of the senior swimmers who have been part of the Great Britain set-up in recent times. Craig Gibbons (23) became Senior Champion in the 50m Freestyle, broke the County Record in this event and helped the Club's Relay Teams to several other victories and County Records. Hannah Askew (17) became Senior Champion in nine different events, adding to her brace of wins in the distance events. The pinnacle of these came in the 100m Freestyle, with a time of 55.82 setting a new County Record and putting Hannah in the top-ten fastest swims in the country for this event in the last 12 months.

This was also a highly successful Championships for Sarah Powell (16), Jonny Quainton (16) and Liam O'Brien (12). Sarah became Junior Champion in five different events and complemented this with three other Golds in her age group. Her all-round ability was demonstrated by picking up first places in each of the four different strokes as well as the Individual Medley events. The best of Jonny's four victories on the main weekends of competition came in the 100m Freestyle. His 53.24 saw him gain a national qualification times and become Senior Champion in this event. Liam won a total of five Golds in a range of 50 and 100m events and set new meet records in several along the way. Also noteworthy are Corinne James (14) who became Senior Champion in the 50m Breaststroke in a winning time of 35.44 and Ollie Brewer (17) who Became Senior Champion in the 200m Freestyle in a winning time of 1:57.62.

Sisters Ellie and Leah Picillo (9 and 11) both won Golds, with Ellie's coming in the 100m Individual Medley and 200m Backstroke, whilst her older sister won the 50 ,100 and 200m Butterfly events, the last two in meet record times. This family achievement was almost mirrored by the Withams, with Michael (9) winning the 50 and 200m Backstroke and the 200m Freestyle events, whilst his brother David (10) achieved a new meet record to win the 200m Backstroke event. New meet records also went to Owain Spencer (10) by completing the 200m Butterfly in a time of 3:16.93 and to Erin Alder (9) producing a winning time of 3:35.42 in the 200m Breaststroke. Other Maxwell swimmers who became County Champions in their age groups in at least one event were Alfie Bones, Abi Bunce, Kenny Cliffe, Tom Elgar, Briony Everett, Thomas Mayho, Hollie McIntyre, Emily Martin and Sarah Turner.