WYRE Forest swimming club members took part in the first of the New Year's galas, round one of the Worcester Winter League, at Worcester.

At the half way point Wyre Forest were on equal points but thanks to a good team performance, which included 28 personal best times, pulled clear from their nearest rivals to finish a creditable fourth.

Out of 40 races Wyre Forest gained three first places, seven seconds and four thirds, and the final points were: Worcester 212, Bromsgrove 163, Stourbridge B 147, Wyre Forest 121, Broadway 107, Orion 86.

Amy Smith won two races, and Scott Allin one, and there were excellent performances by Olivia Ward (11 & under) and Mark Beard (13 & under), swimming in their first individual races for the A team.

Results

Winners: girls - Smith (open, 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle); boys - Scott Allin (11/under 50m backstroke).

Second places: girls - Eliza Bradley (11/under, 50m freestyle), Faith Ross (11/under, 50m backstroke); Hannah Wear (open, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke); boys - Ross Morton (15/under, 100m backstroke); mixed - 11/under medley and freestyle relays (Ross, Josh Bradley, Ward, Alex Thorley, Bradley, Jack Barnett)

Third places: boys - Thorley (11/under, 50m butterfly), Joe Dyer (15/under, 100m breaststroke); mixed - 15/under medley relay (Zoe Chamberlain, Dyer, Iskra Lawrence, Philip Harrison, April Bradley, Morton); open freestyle relay(Sian Griffiths, Nick Carmichael, Wear, Dyer, Smith, Jeremy Short)

The previous Sunday, six swimmers between nine and 12 took part in the Stourbridge Crystal Open Meet held at Wolverhampton.

Thorley won the 200m butterfly in the boys 11years age group, as well as gaining top 10 performances in the 200m backstroke and 50m butterfly. Also gaining top 10 finishes were James Hatherill (boys 9 years 50m butterfly & 100m individual medley) and Aaron Smith (boys 10 years 50m backstroke).

Results

Girls - Emily Lane (12 years, 12th 50m breaststroke, 22nd 50m freestyle).

Boys - Hatherill (9, 7th 50m butterfly, 8th 100m individual medley, 11th 50m backstroke, 14th 50m freestyle; Alex Hoult (10, 18th 50m backstroke, 19th 50m breaststroke, 24th 50m freestyle), Aaron Smith (10, 6th 50m backstroke, 11th 50m freestyle, 25th 50m breaststroke), Barnett (11, 11th 50m freestyle, 14th 50m butterfly), Thorley (11, 1st 200m butterfly, 6th 200m backstroke, 8th 50m butterfly, 11th 50m backstroke, 19th 50m freestyle).