Personal bests take a dive

Youngsters from Newark Swimming Club achieved five first places and eight personal bests in a one-off gala at Hucknall on Saturday.

The Newark team took third place overall in the Walter Crisp Trophy Gala.

The gala’s format was designed to encourage clubs to enter some of their more junior swimmers.

Each event had a cut-off time and any swimmer going faster than the time received a speeding ticket and forfeited the points for that event.

Newark could have improved on their overall standing had they not received seven speeding tickets.

Swimmers with notable performances included Luke Marriot, who claimed first place in the ten years, 50-metre butterfly.

Benjamin Palmer was also first in the ten years 50-metre breaststroke.

Luke and Benjamin teamed up with Lewis Illsley and Josh Barker to win the ten years and under boys’ freestyle relay.

Olivia Mathias also took first place in the nine years 25-metre butterfly before teaming up with Isabel Rumley, Laila Gane and Katie Lambert to win the ten years and under girls’ freestyle relay.