An excellent weekend for Haslemere swimmers competing in the 2001 Southern Counties Championships at Crystal Palace was capped by a superb swim by the junior girls' medley relay team of Jennie Clarke, Helen Meckiffe, Chloe Winter and Helen Jackson.
Swimming against very strong opposition from across the south, many of whom were relay teams from a group of clubs competing under a common banner, the girls pulled out all the stops to win the final in a very respectable time of 2mins 07.56secs, improving on their heat time by 2.1secs.
With Jennie on the backstroke (33.84), Helen M on the breast (34.68), Chloe on the 'fly (29.36) and Helen J on the free (29.68), the girls avenged their defeat in the Counties by a strong Leatherhead squad to win the trophy for the first time in the club's history.
Individually, the girls also swam well, with Helen Meckiffe picking up a gold in the girls' 15yrs 50m breaststroke in a championship best time of 35.28.
She followed this with bronze medals in the 100 and 200m events.
Chloe, after an indifferent start to the weekend, picked up gold medals in the junior 50m butterfly and freestyle, which all bodes well for her age group events later this summer.
Jennie, now coming back into form, swam personal bests in the 50m and 100m freestyle and a long awaited PB in the 200m breaststroke.
For the boys, Owen Morgan, now swimming in the open category, came up against stiff opposition, but still managed to bring home four silver medals in the 50, 100 and 200m backstroke and 100m butterfly.
The club's other relay teams all swam well and Tom White, swimming up to help the junior boys' team, recorded another national qualifying time in the backstroke leg of the medley relay.
Overall, a very satisfying weekend for the club.