Eloise scoops a national bronze
Newbury swimmers finished the season on a high – with personal best times and a national medal.
The four girls – Eloise Wade, younger sister Grace Wade, Anna Patterson and Olive Muir – all qualified for the Swim England National Summer Championships, which took place over a week at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge 50m pool earlier this month.
Eloise Wade, 18, had already starred in one of the country’s key competitions, the GB Aquatics Summer Championships, where she secured a season’s best in the 50m breaststroke.
She then picked up a bronze medal in the open age group final of the 100m breaststroke at English Nationals.
Newbury’s head coach Emma Harris said: "To have four swimmers qualify for GB Aquatics Championships and/or English Nationals this summer was a brilliant way to end the season.
"All four girls did themselves and the club proud and it was great to see the support from back home too.
"Eloise bringing home a bronze medal was a fantastic achievement, especially being in the more challenging open age group this year.
"It’s inspiring for the younger swimmers with similar goals to see their teammates compete at these championships.
"I’m excited for what our next season may bring."
Grace Wade, 16, was the first Newbury swimmer to compete this year at English Nationals, when she took on the 1,500m freestyle – an exhausting 30 lengths of the Olympic-sized Sheffield pool. It was her first appearance on the national stage and only the third time she had raced that distance long course.
Next up was the 100m breaststroke, which starred Eloise Wade and Muir, 15, with both swimmers making it to the finals later that evening and Wade securing her bronze medal.
The following day they were both back in the pool for the 200m breaststroke and again Muir put in a great swim to make it to the finals where she finished seventh in a new personal best time.
Also that day saw another first appearance at nationals for Patterson, 17, who took on the 800m freestyle event.
It was then down to Muir to close the event for Newbury’s swimmers, when she was back in the pool two days later for the 50m breaststroke.
Mrs Harris Commissar said it was great to see the whole club get behind the girls, even pausing their training sessions throughout the week to watch the livestream of all the races.
The club’s swimmers are now focussing on trying to qualify for the south east winter regional championships.
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