Almost every one of the Sutton Swimming Club members competing at the opening weekend of the Notts ASA County Championship swam a personal best.

Last year Sutton had 51 swimmers qualify for the counties, so the increase to 67 in 2024 highlighted the strength in depth now at the club.

Coach David Swales said that aside from the 12 medal winners, many more swimmers reached finals and narrowly missed out on a place in the top three, adding: “Virtually every swimmer taking part swam a personal best — you can’t ask for any more than that!”

The first weekend included 12 events — Girls: 50m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 100m butterfly, and 400m individual medley. Boys: 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, and 400m individual medley. The 50m and 100m events had heats with the fastest eight progressing to finals. Events over 200m and above saw heat declared winners.

A total of 52 Sutton swimmers competed over the first weekend, winning 23 medals — six golds, six silvers, and 11 bronzes.

One of the highlights was a Sutton clean sweep in the 15 years 400m individual medley, with Thomas Swales claiming gold, Brodie Butlin silver, and Joel Harby bronze (pictured top on the podium). Thomas’s time was fast enough to take bronze in the Senior Boys Title.

It was part of a great weekend for Thomas, who also took age group gold in the two other events he swam, 200m butterfly and 100m butterfly — winning the Senior Boys Title in the 200m event and another Senior Boys Title bronze in the 100m.
Sutton’s Adam Read claimed silver in the 16 years and above 200m butterfly and bronze in the Senior Boys Title.

Thomas Swales and Adam Read.

Medal winners were:

Sienna Brett (above) — 50m freestyle gold, 100m butterfly silver, and 200m freestyle silver.
Madison Brown — 200m freestyle bronze and 200m breaststroke silver.
Lucia Fiori — 100m butterfly bronze.
Ellie McKeaney — 100m freestyle bronze.
Elsa Barber — 100m butterfly bronze.
Kayla Godfrey — 200m breaststroke bronze.

Aurelia Wawrzyniewicz (above) — 200m breaststroke gold, 400m individual medley silver, and 50m breaststroke bronze.
George Swales — 200m breaststroke silver and 100m butterfly bronze.
Thomas Swales — 100m butterfly gold, 200m butterfly gold, and 400m individual medley gold.
Joel Harby — 100m butterfly bronze, 200m butterfly bronze, and 400m individual medley bronze.
Brodie Butlin — 200m breaststroke gold and 400m individual medley silver.
Adam Read — 200m butterfly silver.