A Final

Bridgwater Swimming Club qualified for the A Final of the Cotswold League for the second year running by winning the last round of the league phase on April 22.

The top eight positions in the league will be decided by the A Final.

The gala started very evenly, despite Bridgwater's Amy Anderson and Greg Kyd both winning the open individual medley in personal-best times, Bridgwater, Burnham and league leaders Cinderford were level after four events, all with 11 points. Cirencester were on six.

Then Bridgwater started to slip away from local rivals Burnham and Cinderford. They needed a good performance, which was delivered by Amy Pring, a win in the girls' 13/U 50 metresbreaststroke. That put Bridgwater back in touch with the leading teams.

Next, Lucy Cornish put in a great performance, despite only being 12 years old, winning the ladies open age group 100 butterfly in a personal-best time of 1:19.54.

Julian Flack followed up with a win in the men's 100 butterfly, also in a personal best of 1:14.19. Then the girls' 13/U 4x25 freestyle relay team took a win and the boys finished second in their race, setting a new club fastest time. Rachael Barr put in a good performance in the girls 15/U 50 breaststroke, finishing almost one-and-half seconds aheadr.

Eleven-year old Jess Barham stepped up for the ladies' open 100 backstroke and recorded a massive personal best time of 1:23.24, before David Bartholomew took the win in the men's 100 backstroke. Adam Biddiscombe recorded a personal best in the 25 butterfly and Lucy Cornish had her third win of the evening, this time in her own age-group 50 freestyle. She finished way ahead of her closest competitor.

Adam Parchment followed up by winning the boys' 50 freestyle in a pb of 31.03, almost four seconds in front of second-placed Cinderford. At the halfway point, there was just one point between the top three teams so it was still anyone's gala.

In the second half, Bridgwater were strongest. First, the men's open 4x25 medley relay team adding to the club's win tally, then Jess Fournier put in a quality swim to take the girls 13/U 50 butterfly, in a pb of 37.89.

The wins started to flood in. Nick Constable took the boys' 50 butterfly, Amy Anderson the ladies' open 100 breaststroke and Greg Kyd the men's 100 breaststroke, in a season's best time. The girls' and boys' 13/U medley relays both finished first, with boys once again recording a club best time.

Luke Parchment put in a massive performance in the 15/U 50 butterfly. Swimming up an age-group, he won in a personal best time of 34.48 secs.

Then Chloe Parchment swam in her first individual event, the open 100 freestyle, recording a pb of 1.22.57, before Ricky Hayes won the men's 100 freestyle, finishing more than five seconds ahead of second-placed Burnham.

Bridgwater finished off the individual events in style, with Lucy Cornish and Nick Constable winning the girls' and boys' 13/U 50 backstroke.

With one event to go, Bridgwater had already won the gala, but the men's open 4x25 freestyle team were determined to finish in style and did just that, to complete a clean sweep of their events.

Final points: Bridgwater 140, Cinderford 132, Burnham 129, Cirencester 106.