Swimming

SEVENOAKS swimmers took part in round one of the White Horse League for the first time and won it, beating Orpington by one point.

Events kicked off with Joseph Choong in the open individual medley, finishing first by just two seconds. Joe also clinched a first in the open age group of the 100m butterfly.

Tariq Hanza swam to an excellent second in the breaststroke event, just missing out on the final touch.

The under-15 boys' events saw two first places for Henry Choong, in the 100m breaststroke by a two-second lead and just touching to first in the butterfly.

Under 13 Hamish Johnstone took first in the backstroke with a convincing win and Joshua Bedford-Eastwell in the freestyle by a touch.

Good swims also came from David Wilson in the breaststroke and Tom Coveney in the butterfly.

In the u11 group, George Tyler and Dylan Reynolds achieved second places in the breaststroke and butterfly respectively.

In the girls' open age group, Katie Lobley came second in the 100m breaststroke and in the u13 girls', second places also for Charlotte Hook in the freestyle, Imogen Hawkins in the backstroke and Millie Humphrey in the butterfly. Elizabeth Coveney produced a good performance in the 100m breaststroke.

Excellent swims in the u11 section came from Arthur Zijdenbos, third, backstroke, Vigta Milana, freestyle, just missing second by a touch, and Euan Livingtone, also third in the freestyle.

Under 15 Kiri Marsh was third in the butterfly event.

In the open age group, there were also third places for Chloe Rouse (freestyle), with all teams finishing almost simultaneously, Patrick Ham (freestyle) with the first three swimmers finishing on the same time, and Alex Macaulay, in the backstroke event.

The relay teams were strong, and the u11 girls – Natasha Hamilton-Walker (10), Poppy Holmes, Vita Milana and Bethany Hook (all nine) - and the boys were both first in the medley with easy wins, while the girls took the freestyle with a convincing victory, and the boys gained second place in the same event.

The u13 boys were first in the medley relay, after a close finish, and won the freestyle relay comfortable, while the girls achieved third in both events.

The u15 boys' freestyle relay team were pushed into second place by less than a second.

In the open age-group for boys, Sevenoaks produced a great performance with first in the medley relay, by a touch, and in the freestyle relay, by only two seconds in a close finish.

Final results: Sevenoaks 299, Orpington 298, Beckenham 295, Southern Aquatics 220, Erith and District 215, White Oak 212, Bromley 153.

IT WAS a night of cups, cheers and karaoke at Sevenoaks Swimming Club's annual presentations at Walthamstow Hall Senior School.

Many swimmers were multiple award-winners and left the stage with a cup and a clutch of medals, the cup categories ranging from the Minnows Cup for U8 girls and boys to the Brooks (girls) and Colyer (boys) Cups, presented to club members, who have given outstanding service to the club and also made good progress in swimming without gaining any high awards.

This year the award was made to Laura Phillips, who jointly received the Senior 400m Freestyle Cup with Joseph Choong, and Leandre Stevens, winner of the Ballantyne Cup.

Other swimmers who made several return trips to the stage to collect trophies included U14 girls' age-group winner Sarah Kew, as well as Xander Alari-Williams, Georgia Miller and Fred Biggs.

Youngsters making their stage debut were U10 boys' winner Andre Strydom (Kingsbury Cup), who was also the U9 boys' individual medley winner, his sister Nina (the Eardley Cup for girls' U12 individual medley winner), U12 boys' winner Sebastian Stewart (also the recipient of the Argyle Cup for boys' U12 individual medley winner) and 10-year-old Natasha Hamilton-Walker for the Lewis Trophy (U11 girls' winner).

Coach Mandy Turner took to the stage to announce a brand new trophy for the club which was being presented for the first time.

The cup is in memory of the Sevenoaks Club swimmer, Lucy Boughton, who died in October, aged 20.

Mandy was accompanied on stage by Lucy's mother, Charlotte, as she presented the cup to two members of the club's Penguin team, of which Lucy was an enthusiastic member.