Swimmers from eight County clubs gathered in Newmarket to represent Bedfordshire in this year’s East Region round of the Inter County Masters Championship.

Since the reorganisation of the Districts, Bedfordshire have never finished higher that fourth place in the East Region round, but this year the swimmers excelled themselves, and won, yes won, the Trophy, beating Norfolk into second place by just six points.

Bedfordshire 261

Norfolk 255

Cambridgeshire 233

Hertfordshire 221

Suffolk 220

Essex 204

The County had eleven individual first places, and seven relay wins.

Liz Woolner (Flitwick Dolphins) in the 45 to 54 age group, was the busiest swimmer, winning her three individual swims, the 50m Butterfly, then equalling her own East Region and County record in the 50 Freestyle with a time of 29.41 secs. And then went on to break her own Region and County record when winning the 50 backstroke with a time of 34.51 secs.

In the 18 and over age group there were wins for Sam Parry (Dunstable) in the 50 Freestyle 25.18. For Lucy Gregory (Leighton Buzzard) in the 50 backstroke 32.48, and for British record holder Lawrence Palmer (Putteridge) in the 50 Breaststroke 28.10.

The 25 to 34 age group had two winners both from South Beds Masters, Carla King won the 50 Freestyle 28.10, and Sarah Pearse won the 50 Breaststroke with a time of 36.16.

Marcel Scholten (Modernians) swimming in the 45 to 54 age group, won the 50 Breaststroke 34.23, but in doing so injured his shoulder/back and had to withdraw from the rest of the competition. But in the next age group, the 55 to 59, Team Luton stalwarts Graham Powell won the 50 Backstroke 33.49, and team mate Colin Mayes won the 50 Breaststroke 38.30.

This year Bedfordshire fared much better in the relay events, with wins coming from the following teams:

Men’s 72 + Freestyle. Men’s 100 + Freestyle. Women’s 72 + Medley. Women’s 100 + Freestyle. Women’s 100 + Medley. Women’s 140 + Freestyle, and the Mixed 200 + Freestyle.

Report by John Bellis