What a blast the team had at the Open Masters Swimming meet in Bracknell. There were plenty of highs and lots of fun along the way. The day was made enjoyable by the Spencer contingent turning up and getting involved in a host of races across the programme, including a busy schedule of relays, where we fielded several teams across different age groups.
We also welcomed Valentyna Foytlova to the Spencer competitive squad for the first time, and what a fantastic performance she put in, delivering three gold medals in the 100m and 50m breaststroke, as well as the 50m freestyle. She also added potency to our relay teams, so it was great to have her as part of the squad.
Early Racing Sets Tone for the Team
The meet got off to a winning start, as both Luca Milana (50-54 yrs – men) and Simon Berrey (55-59 yrs – men) both came home in gold medal positions in the 200m Individual Medley. This was followed in event two by Valentyna’s triumphant 100m breaststroke (25-29 yrs – women) in 1:19.01.
Then came the legion of Spencer swimmers in the mixed 200m freestyle.
- Gold:
- Leo Murison (30–34 men)
- Amanda Heath (65–69 women)
- Silver:
- Karl Simpson (50–54 men)
- Jennifer Kelley (40–44 women)
- Bronze:
- Emily Hayter (40–44 women)
- Matthew Taylor (55–59 men)
The meet had started well, and next up, three Spencer swimmers came charging down the first length of the 200m fly side by side. Robyn Le Friec (35-39 – women), Leo Murison (30-34 – men) and John Fitzpatrick (50-54 – men), all pushing themselves in an unforgiving event. Leo and Robyn collected gold medals, with Robyn producing a new Bracknell Masters Meet Performance in 2:29.07.
Valentyna won gold in the 50m freestyle (29.59), Helen Cumber also won gold (29.20), and Leo Murison kept the trend going with a win for the men (26.01).
More Spencer Swim Team Results
A string of excellent individual performances continued through the afternoon as the masters swimming programme continued:
Backstroke
- Amanda Heath – 100m Backstroke, 1:33.53 (65–69 women) – Gold
- John Fitzgerald – 100m Backstroke, 1:08.19 (50–54 men) – Gold
- Simon Berrey – 200m Backstroke, 2:43.25 (55–59 men) – Gold
- Helen Cumber – 200m Backstroke, 2:38.83 (30–34 women) – Gold
- Amanda Heath – 200m Backstroke, 3:12.95 (65–69 women) – Gold
Additional Backstroke Sprints
- Helen Cumber – 50m Backstroke, 33.34 (30–34 women) – Gold
- Amanda Heath – 50m Backstroke, 43.44 (65–69 women) – Gold
- John Fitzgerald – 50m Backstroke, 31.42 (50–54 men) – Gold
Butterfly
- Robyn Le Friec – 50m Fly, 30.40 (35–39 women) – Gold
- Leo Murison – 50m Fly, 28.29 (30–34 men) – Silver
- Clive Benson – 50m Fly, 30.15 (60–64 men) – Gold
- John Fitzgerald – 100m Fly – 1:07.33 (men 50-54 age) – Gold
- Clive Benson – 100m Fly – 1:09.32 (men 60-64 age) – Gold
Individual Medley
- Leo Murison – 100m IM, 1:03.66 (30–34 men) – Gold
Breaststroke
- Jennifer Kelly – 50m Breaststroke, 43.27 (40–44 women) – Silver
- Amanda Heath – 50m Breaststroke, 43.55 (65–69 women) – Gold
- Luca Milana – 200m Breaststroke, 3:04.22 (50–54 men) – Gold
Freestyle
- Jennifer Kelly – 100m Freestyle, 1:11.42 (40–44 women) – Silver
- Amanda Heath – 100m Freestyle, 1:18.32 (65–69 women) – Gold
- Clive Benson – 100m Freestyle, 1:04.53 (60–64 men) – Silver
Some excellent results for individual performances but also some fantastic swims that perhaps fell outside the medal places but were . However, the Spencer team loves a relay, and it was here that the team spirit really came alive. The team scooped gold in the 4x50m freestyle (120+) and the 4x50m butterfly (160+). We also came in a close 4th place on a couple of the other relay events for the 200+ team.
A Successful Day for Spencer Swim Team
An impressive collection of medals, season’s bests, and even a meet record reflects what a strong day this was for the Spencer Masters squad. With excellent team spirit and enthusiastic participation across all age groups, the Bracknell Open Masters Meet showcased the best of masters swimming and was a resounding success.