These are healthy times for Cirencester Swimming Club who are still celebrating after enjoying great success in this year’s county championships.

Cirencester swimmers travelled to Bristol Hengrove and made the most of racing in a 50-metre pool before returning to Gloucester’s GL1 and turning on the style again.

The club claimed 21 gold medals, 21 silvers and 22 bronzes which is testament to the hard training ethic of each swimmer and also the dedication and hours spent poolside of the club’s volunteer coaches.

It was the largest medal haul claimed by Cirencester in recent years and a higher percentage in gold and silver medals in comparison to recent years.

The junior and senior squad combined enjoyed 34 new regional consideration times – with tougher criteria compared to last year in 35 age/event categories – and have been set alongside 33 new regional qualifying times with equally tougher criteria.

For the junior swimmers, medals went to Isabella Stenson (4G, 2S, 1B), George Pearson (4S, 4B), Ischi Howells (1S, 1B) and Finley Mooney (1S).

There were also plenty of personal bests achieved – Sam Humphrey, Rebekkah Mawer, Ella Duggan, Ella-Louise Herbert, Issy Watt, Felix Duggan, Addison Starsmeare-Ferris, Katie Johnston and Emy Kerr-Muir are all one step closer to regional considerations.

For the senior swimmers, medals went to Henry Sheffield (10G, 1S, 1B), Kirsten Powell (3G, 1S, 4B), Alex Cohoon (2G, county champion, 1S), Lena Nekjic (2G, 3S), Beatrice Kenny (3S, 1B), Samuel Kempster (2S, 3B), Ella Kempster (2S, 2B), Mackenzie Jeffery (2B) and Zach Hitchcock-Smith (1B).

Also hitting PBs and being one step closer to the regionals are Tilly Boyle, Henry Broadley, Daisy Cole, Alex Green, Ben Grinnell, Marcus Grinnell, Belle Hadley, Harry Hanson, Ruby Haywood, Ollie Hodgson, Jessica Kenny, Olivia Kerr-Muir, Lavinia Morsani-Jones, Gary Nelson, Ailsa Roe, Grace Russell, Archie Sheffield, Maria Smith, Emily Wan, Holly Wan and Aaron White.

Cirencester were also able to field both A and B teams in most of the age categories in the relays.

Current rules mean only one team can qualify for the finals and Cirencester A teams again came away with eight medals.

Relay medals
Boys 9-10 years medley: Humphrey, G Pearson, Mooney, J Green – Bronze.
Boys 9-10 years free: Dewar, Humphrey, G Pearson, Mooney – Bronze.
Girls 9-10 years medley: E Kerr-Muir, Ridges, Howells, Duggan – Bronze.
Girls 9-10 years free: Howells, W Kerr-Muir, Duggan, Johnston – Silver.
Girls 11-12 years medley: B Kenny, Nejkic, I Stenson, O Kerr-Muir – Gold.
Girls 11-12 years free: I Stenson, O Kerr-Muir, Nejkic, B Kenny – Silver.
Boys 13-14 years medley: A Green, A Sheffield, B Grinnell, Z Hitchcock-Smith – Silver.
Girls 15-16 years free: T Boyle, E Kempster, E Wan, G Russell – Bronze.
Girls 11-12 years medley: B Kenny, Nejkic, I Stenson, O Kerr-Muir – Gold.
Girls 11-12 years free: I Stenson, O Kerr-Muir, Nejkic, B Kenny – Silver.

Lead coach for the Dolphin squad Howard Green said: “Well done to everyone who participated in the county championships.

“It was the most successful year the club have ever had in terms of medals won, finals reached and swimmers competing at. The club are very proud of everyone.”

Upper Phoenix squad lead Mike Kempster added: “This has been the most consistent improvement of swims for all who took part and can be seen in the medals that came home – 21 gold, 21 silver and 22 bronze medals in total.

“There were some really great swims and all of them should be proud of what they achieved at counties.

“Special mention should go to senior county champion Alex Cohoon as well as to Henry Sheffield, Samuel Kempster, Zach Hitchcock-Smith, Alex Cohoon, Lena Nejkic, Beatrice Kenny, Kirsten Powell, Ella Kempster, Tilly Boyle, George Pearson, Isabella Stenson and Phoebe Carter for breaking club records.

Cirencester, fresh from their success in the county championships, took a young team to compete in the Dave Bryant Memorial Gala in Bristol.

It is a gala that Cirencester have done well in over the years and this time around they finished third – no mean achievement when some of their youngest swimmers were aged 12 and below.

Points and rankings: 224 Severnside Swim; 193 Southwold Swim; 165 Cirencester Swimming Club; 164 Bristol Penguins; 151 Bospool (Burnham-on-Sea); 107 Soundwell Swim.

Anyone interested in a trial at Cirencester should visit www.cirencesterswimmingclub.co.uk and follow the ‘request a trial’ link.