Promotion in the pool
Fifteen-year-old Benjamin Palmer, won four races as Newark Swimming Club secured promotion to Division One of the Nottinghamshire Swimming League at the Grove Leisure Centre, Balderton.
Newark needed to finish in the top three to ensure promotion.
They began the gala in strong fashion when Palmer and Ruth Money comfortably won the under-15s medley, and Olivia Mathias triumphed in the under-13 and under-15 100m backstroke.
Mathias tasted success again in the under-15s breaststroke, and the team edged closer to promotion after two wins each from new Hungarian member Gregg Tejes and Jacob Carrington.
It was the fourth gala in a row in which Carrington won two races.
Palmer proved the star of the evening, triumphing in the under-15 breaststroke, under-15 100m backstroke, and the under-15 100m freestyle, while wins from Simon Wathen, Grace Rudd Hearn, Laura Cundy, and Sophie Trickett meant Newark could celebrate promotion.
The club finished with 17 wins, giving them first place overall by 21 points.
There were 15 personal best times, and the results gave Newark 41/2-point margin over league runners-up Nottingham Leander.
John Palmer, the club’s coach, said: “It is great for the club to get promoted, and we saw some fantastic swimming.
“We tend to go up and down between the divisions, but we haven’t been in the top division for four years, so hopefully this time we will be able to stay there.
“We have got a few months to prepare for the new season in the top division, and we have picked up quite a few new members as well so we are doing things right as a club.
“The Olympics has inspired a few people to try the sport and we are nearly full with so many members.”
The club has up to 200 members, with 35 swimmers regularly taking part in galas.
Palmer and Money, both 15, are set to swim for Nottinghamshire in the national counties championship, while the club championship starts shortly.
Palmer said: “We have got quite a lot of youngsters competing at a regional level, and then Benjamin and Ruth will be swimming for the county in the nationals.
“We have got a few promising young swimmers coming through the ranks.”
