SWIMMING: Stowmarket Seals have retained the Larking on the Lark Challenge trophy for the fifth successive year.Determined to steal victory in the annual B Grade Gala yet again, the club proved its outstanding domination in the recent Mildenhall-hosted event – but not without a fight.

By Debbie Watson

SWIMMING

STOWMARKET Seals have retained the Larking on the Lark Challenge trophy for the fifth successive year.

Determined to steal victory in the annual B Grade Gala yet again, the club proved its outstanding domination in the recent Mildenhall-hosted event – but not without a fight.

As defending champions the Seals fought hard from the outset, with the lead changing hands several times throughout the course of the night. Home club Mildenhall was clearly out to prove that it could raise a strong game at the event.

Stowmarket's Laura Bumstead proved herself one of the big successes for the eventual winners.

The 12-year-old stormed home in a personal best time of 1:27:86 for event 34, the 100m Individual Medley.

This opened the gap for Stowmarket and saw them pull away from Mildenhall.

From then on Stowmarket swimmers were unstoppable, delivering eight wins out of a possible final ten to clinch the trophy.

As so often this season, the freestyle relay teams excelled.

The senior teams won both the girls and boys races, the mixed team won the squad relay and the junior boys and girls came second in both of their events.

In the individual events, wins were also recorded by Hannah Stockley, Sarah Cuff, Kieran Clement-Smith, Hayley Goddard, Tanya Watling, Oliver Davies, Laura Bumstead, Stephanie Durrant, Joanne Cuff, Sarah Goddard, Mark Davies, Jessica Beatty, Lawrence Howes, Nicola Prowse, Oliver Drew and Amanda King.

Personal best time were recorded by Lawrence Howes, Hannah Stockley, Oliver Davies, Sarah Cuff, Adam Duszynski, Emma Carter, Kieran Clement-Smith, James Ellis, Laura Bumstead, Tanya Watling, Oliver Davies and Harriet Chidwick.

Stowmarket team coach Nick Minns was thrilled to claim the trophy yet again.

He said: "This was a very good all-round team effort. Larking on the Lark is a B grade gala, so we saw swimmers performing outside of their strongest strokes.

"To have personal best times delivered across all age groups – including the seniors – indicates that these swimmers are working hard at their training across all strokes.

"All credit is due to the Mildenhall team – they chased us all the way to the line – but in the end I am pleased for the team that it managed to retain the trophy."

FULL RESULTS:

Individual: Lawrence Howes 100m IM 2nd 1:10:32 (pb), 100m free 1st 59:71 (pb), Hannah Stockley 100m IM 1st 1:17:27 (pb), 100m free 1st 1:07:75 (pb), Matthew Davies 50m breast 3rd 58:02, 50m back 1st 47:15, Harriet Chidwick 50m breast 2nd 59:70 (pb), Oliver Davies 50m free 2nd 35:83 (pb), 50m fly 1st 41:29 (pb), Sarah Cuff 50m free 1st 36:01 (pb), Adam Duszynski 50m fly 4th 35:07 (pb), 100m IM 2nd 1:19:22 (pb), Emma Carter 50m fly 2nd 36:18 (pb), Kieran Clement-Smith 100m back 1st 1:14:71 (pb), Hayley Goddard 100m back 1st 1:17:94, 100m breast 1st 1:33:85, Tanya Watling 100m IM 1st 1:22:98 (pb), James Ellis 100m breast 2nd 1:20:63 (pb), 100m fly 2nd 1:10:82 (pb), Matthew Wake 50m free 4th 53:09, 50m fly 4th 33:13, Jessica Spraggs 50m free 4th 49:50, Laura Bumstead 50m fly 1st 39:70, 100m IM 1st, 1:27:86 (pb), G. Jarrett 50m back 3rd 44:60, Stephanie Durrant 50m back 1st 46:32, Marc Offord 100m free 2nd 1:07:87, 100m breast 2nd 1:24:12, Joanne Cuff 100m free 1st 1:17:00, Sarah Goddard 100m fly 1st 1:20:01, Harriet Davies 50m back 3rd 1:02:29, James King 100m IM 3rd 1:34:01, 50m breast 2nd 47:45, Jessica Beatty 100m breast 1st 1:30:99, Nicola Prowse 50m breast 1st 43:02, Oliver Drew 100m back 1st 1:19:98, Amanda King 100m back 1st 1:22:53.

Team Relays: Girls Junior 4x25m free 2nd, Boys Junior 4x25m free 2nd, Girls Senior 4x25m free 1st, Boys Senior 4x25m free 1st, Mixed 8x25m free 1st.