Royal Tunbridge Wells Monson Swimming Club (Monson) was well represented in the Kent County ASA team for this year’s ASA National Inter-Counties Competition held in Sheffield last weekend.

The competition comprises 40 teams of two divisions competing simultaneously as opposite ends of the Ponds Forge Facility and show cases the best of British age group talent. Kent compete in Division one and Monson had four swimmers selected, the second largest contingent, for the prestigious competition held in front of a packed and enthusiastic crowd.

Annabel Guye-Johnson (13 years) was first up in the girls 12/13 100m Breaststroke and swam 1:15.11 to finish 5th in a new Personal Best (PB) and Monson (CR). Caitlin Fearon (13 years) swam next in the 100m Freestyle in the same age group finishing 8th in 1:00.14 narrowly missing the magic one minute mark again establishing a new PB and CR. Both were members of the 12/13 medley relay, which finished 2nd.

Savanna Jemmett (14 years) was next in action in the 14/15 100m backstroke and powered her way to 1:04.09 and 7th place and established a new Kent County Junior Short Course record as well as a new PB and CR. Savanna also led off the medley relay which finished a creditable 13th.

As the last race approached Kent needed a good performance from the Freestyle relay team to ensure 4th place and their best finish in the competitions history. Caitlin was the 12/13 female representative in the relay and did not disappoint with a stunning 27.89 split helping the relay team to 4th and more importantly 4th overall in the competition.

Lancashire were the eventual Division 1 winners with 512 points; Yorkshire 2nd, 443; Middlesex 3rd, 416 and Kent 4th with 386 points
Monson swimmers rewarded with England Development selection

Beth Hathaway was the fourth member selected but unfortunately had to withdraw at the last minute due to a training injury. However both Beth and Caitlin have also been in action recently having been selected for stage one of the ASA England Performance Profiling & Development Programme by virtue of their National Championship performances back at the end of the summer.

Both took part in an intensive day of testing and training and must now wait to see if they have been selected to progress to stage two of the programme.