The Academy Swim Team in Burnham exceeded all their expectations with excellent results at the Somerset County Swimming Championships.

THE Academy Swim Team Burnham, has been in action at the prestigious Somerset County Swimming Championships, held at Millfield School, with 16 qualified swimmers racing.

The team has yet again exceeded all expectations in only its second year at this event.

Callum Richards, aged 15, from Churchill Academy in North Somerset, made a huge impression on the championships, becoming the first swimmer from the Academy to become a Somerset county champion.

Callum captured gold medals in the 100m individual medley, 200m I/M and 100m backstroke, silver in the 50m freestyle and bronze medals in the 200m backstroke, 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly.

Shannon Hooper (13), swam phenomenal races to capture bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m backstroke. Shannon also took fifth place in the 50m backstroke, seventh place in the 200m freestyle and 400m IM, ninth place in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m IM and 10th place in the 400m freestyle, a total of nine swims amongst the top 10 in the county.

Owen Mercer (12) was just outside the medals and achieved an outstanding fourth place in one of the toughest events of the program, the 200m butterfly, also recording a seventh in the 200m freestyle, ninth in the 100m freestyle and 10th in the 200m backstroke.

Anya Snowball (11) was placed fifth in the gruelling 400m IM, with a massive 15 second personal best and captured eighth place in the 40m freestyle, (19 second PB).

Isobelle Brown (10) made it to the finals for the 50m freestyle and achieved a remarkable sixth place. Rebecca Mercer (15) made it into the finals of the 50m backstroke for seventh place and the 100m butterfly for eighth place.

Joe Hancock (16) gained ninth spot in the 100m IM with a three second PB. Oscar Rogers achieved a top 10 position in the 100m backstroke, with a massive four second PB.

Ellen Lupton (14) achieved 11th places in the 50m and 200m breaststroke (11 second PB) & 400m freestyle with an astonishing 17 second PB.

Samantha Vagg (16) achieved 11th position in the girls’ 100m IM and the 100m backstroke, both with PBs.

Connie Hazelton Cavill captured 12th place in the girls’ 400m IM, (12 second PB).

Ophelia Hazelton Cavill took 15th place in the girls 5m breaststroke, knocking over a second off her PB.

Harriet Puddy (12) qualified for six races and achieved PBs in all six swims, achieving 17th place in the girls’ 100m IM. Bill Lupton (17) achieved 17th place in the boy’s open 50m butterfly (30.33) and a PB.

Olivia Earthy (11) achieved a top 20 place in the girls’ 100m backstroke (five second PB). Emily Murray (13) qualified for the girls’ 100m IM and placed was 41st (an improvement of four places based on her entry time) and helped the girls’ 13/14 relay team to ninth place with Chloe, Ellen and Shannon.

Emily Kay Smith (12) stepped up in great style to help Anya, Harriet and Connie secure a top 10 place in the girls’ 9-12 years relays.

A huge congratulations must also go out to coaches Tracey Kidner, Nic Puddy and Andy Holt, for getting the team into championship performance shape, but the work does not stop here.

At the conclusion of these championships, the team has now achieved regional qualifying times in 32 events (last year in our first year of racing, the team only had one regional qualification time ). Regionals will be held in May, so the team are back in training in the hopes of making a big impact on these championships.

Huge thanks to county officials Fiona Mercer, Jenny Parfitt and Gary Cavill, who have presided over these championships and to all the parents and volunteers, whose cheering at support at these races could be heard back in Burnham.

If you are interested in swimming, the Academy Swim Team currently has five squads training at the Burnham Swim & Sports Academy and welcomes new swimmers.

If you are not quite at the level of competitive swimming, then why not enrol in our UK ASA award-winning swim school of the year, where you will receive some of the best instruction in the country.

To schedule a trial, or join the Swim Academy/team, or for further information, please contact the academy on 01278 785909.