Super Sheridan shines

27 November 2009

ELENA SHERIDAN was the toast of Romford Town after landing six county titles at the Essex Championships at Braintree.

James Davis and Daniel Stepton were not far behind with five wins each and Bethany Hall took the Town haul to 18 with a double of her own.

Returning from a bout of flu after recently celebrating her 14th birthday, Sheridan won junior gold and senior silver in the 200m medley, followed by two more silvers in the 200m breaststroke, which was won by Hall.

Sheridan led from the start of the 200m butterfly to win by 15 metres, as Louise Harrington claimed junior bronze, and won the 100m butterfly, 100m breaststroke and 400m medley with three fine swims, also worth senior silver.

Hall added bronze in the medley and breaststroke events.

Stepton, 18, opened his account with victory in the 800m freestyle as 16-year-old Davis claimed junior gold and senior silver.

Harriette Davis won bronze for the junior girls and Alfie Burr finished fifth before Davis claimed his second win in the 400m medley.

Stepton triumphed in both his 50m and 100m backstroke, as Thomas Toolis took junior bronze over 200m, and Davis produced a stunning display to win the junior and senior titles in the 1,500m freestyle, an amazing 50m clear of second place.

Harriette Davis took silver in her junior event before Stepton claimed bronze in the 200m medley and came from behind to win the 200m backstroke minutes later.

Stepton left it late again to pip Davis to the senior 400m freestyle crown, while Sean Houlihan picked up four bronze medals in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, 200m medley and freestyle.

Jake Harrison, 17, claimed silver in his 200m breaststroke and Nicole Raymond's personal best in the 100m medley earned her junior silver and senior bronze.

Rachel Welsh (silver) and Burr (bronze) added 50m backstroke medals, while Brock Whiston, Amy Gore, Sam Whitehead and Jamie Harrington all contributed to the club's overall Top Club success in the distance events.

*TOWN'S younger members had plenty of success at the Special Age Group Relays to lift the Top Club prize for the fifth time in eight years.

Bethany Moore, Jodi Whitehead, Rosie Webber and Victoria Christmas won the 11/12 years girls medley, with Sophie Ward replacing Whitehead to claim freestyle bronze.

Sam Hollington, Kieran Gore, Toby Mascall and Sam Bishop took bronze in the boys medley, and Luke Sheridan and Connor Houlihan joined Bishop and Gore for another in the freestyle.

Mascall, Hollington, Sam Allsop and Sam Coker just missed out on the freestyle final.

The 9/10 years boys squad of Sam Ellis, Aiden Jackson, Mitchell Wilson and Zac Coleman swam a great medley race to pick up silver, but were edged into fourth in the freestyle event.

Chloe Thompson, Victoria Bishop, Hannah Binning and Maddie Webber were fourth (medley) and sixth (freestyle), while a B team of Erin Corney, Katie Trott, Sophie Mascall and Daisy Nolan Day just missed out on a final spot.

Ben Davis, Robert Benson, David Brooks, Liam Fearon and Georgia Milton also swam well for Town.