Schools hit form at championships

THERE was plenty of success for Greneway and Meridian schools at the North Herts Schools' Swimming Championships, last week. The finals night in Hitchin saw Greneway win Silver in the Year 7/8 boys and girls combined team championship with some superb individual and team swims. Meridian also won silver in the Intermediate boys competiiton. Individually, Tom Higton won the 25m butterfly. There were many other impressive swims from the Greneway and Meridian pupils, many with new personal bests. Once again Greneway teamed up with Meridian to be one of the best mixed schools overall. The intermediate girls (Year 9/10) team were a creditable fourth. The successes once again showed the importance of the partnership between the schools and Royston Swimming Club, with most of the swimmers representing both. n A Royston Swimming Club squad plagued by flu battled valiantly in a Hertfordshire Major League Gala on Saturday. Illness deprived Royston of six swimmers - a quarter of the squad - and they finished last in the Division Three meeting at Hitchin. But coach, Tricia Dear, was delighted to see Royston swimmers win eight races - including victories for 15-year-old Tom Shield in the open butterfly and 13-year-old Tom Higton in the under-16 butterfly - and record around 20 personal best times. "In the light of the way our squad was depleted, I was very pleased with the way we performed" she said. "A lot of swimmers were swimming in races above their age to fill in gaps and they did very well in difficult circumstances. "They recorded personal bests in about half the races. You can't ask a lot more than that.