The appearance of new club coach Kristof Michaliszyn on his first weekend since his arrival at  Bishop’s Stortford inspired Stortford’s youngsters to an amazing 32 top three places in the first round of the Hertfordshire Major League at Hemel Hempstead leisure centre short course pool. There were nine victories across the age groups, fourteen second places and nine third places.

There were double victories for the boys under 16 relay team of Oliver Barker, Alex Snowden, Kieran Huggett and Jake Lloyd, who came first in both their medley and freestyle events, whilst Stortford’s young stars Max McCusker and Georgina Pryor also enjoyed double victories in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle events (Georgina 34.26 seconds butterfly, 32.95 seconds freestyle, Max 35.86 seconds butterfly, 33.67 seconds freestyle). The senior swimmers Stuart Clarke, Bernice Edgeworth and Kieran Huggett led the way in their respective specialist strokes. Stuart Clarke got the evening off to a flying start with a blistering time in the 100m freestyle in 54.82 seconds, which was quickly followed by Kieran Huggett in the 100m butterfly in 64.86 seconds and Bernice recorded a great time in the 100m Breaststroke in 1minute 21.73 seconds. Not to be outdone, the girls under 14 medley relay team of Katie McGarry, Charlotte Longden, Jessica Wacey and Rachel Gunn came home first against some of the toughest opposition from across the county.

Oliver Barker came home second in his strongest event, the 100m backstroke. Oliver was called upon to swim the event twice, both for the under 16’s and in the men’s open event. He showed that he can reproduce consistent strong swims with an almost identical time in both races (66.29 and 66.32 seconds). Alex Snowden also repeated the same feat of achieving two second places in the 100m breaststroke (1minute 18.30 secs) and 100m freestyle (57.86 seconds). Second place swims also went to the new Ladies captain Katy Hanson in the 100m backstroke (1 minute 11.20 seconds),  Lauren Geddes (100m butterfly 1 minute 11.48), Matthew Aldous Horne (100m breaststroke 1 minute 20.16), Sam Longden (100m freestyle 65.16 seconds), Stuart Clarke (100m butterfly 62.42 seconds) and the relay teams in the women’s open medley, Girls under 14 freestyle, boys under 12 and under 14 medley relays and also in the final squadron event of the night consisting of girl and boy swimmers from each of the competing age groups.

There were nine third place swims including Charlote Longden (100m breaststroke 1 minute 28.77), Jessica Huggett (100m butterfly 1 minute 13.07), Katie McGarry ((100m backstroke 1 minute 18.76), Sam Longden (100m backstroke 1 minute 18.20), together with the relay teams of the men’s open, boys and girls under 12 and girls under 16.
Overall, the club can be very pleased with its first round performance and there was plenty of promise from all of the swimmers who have already shown signs that they have embraced the new Head Coach Kristof Michaliszyn with open arms and are keen to learn from his wealth of experience of building successful swim teams.