Raheel Mahmood was the top performer for Romford Town’s young squad at Essex Winter Open Age Group Championships.
The 14-year-old collected 10 gold medals and two silvers for his age group swims, earning him the title of top senior swimmer overall for all competitors at Basildon Sporting Village.
Head coach Gary Rogers saw plenty of gutsy swims and personal bests from his squad as Town earned 24 gold, 17 silver and five bronze medals.
Mahmood was one of four swimmers, along with Issy Jopson, 18, Holly Hagan, 17, and Connor McCarthy, 16, who earned qualification for the Swim England National Winter Championships in Sheffield later this year.
Among the highlights were Mahmood, McCarthy and Jamieson McLaren, 15, all winning gold in their respective age groups in the 400m freestyle.
In the 400m individual medley, Rebecca Coogan 13, won gold while Issy Jopson just lost out to Ironman world champion Lucy Charles-Barclay to earn silver, national qualification and a huge PB.
Mahmood smashed his PB in the 200m butterfly to win overall against senior swimmers as well as his own age group in a fast 2:12.10.
In the 200m freestyle, Coogan got the gold while Jopson won silver, with both setting PBs.
Junayna Ahmed, 18, returned from representing Bangladesh at the Tokyo Olympics and took gold in the 50m butterfly and silver in the 100m freestyle.
Mahmood narrowly missed breaking the one-minute mark on the 100m butterfly on his way to bagging the gold.
On the second day of the championships, both Coogan and Jopson were clear winners in PB times in 400m freestyle.
In the 400m medley, Mahmood claimed another gold while McCarthy got a silver, with both recording PBs.
Jopson grabbed gold in the 200m butterfly in another 1-2 for Town with Ahmed taking the silver.
That saw Jopson finish with three golds and two silvers over the meet, while Coogan finished with three golds, a silver and two bronze.
Ahmed won two golds and two silvers for the weekend while McCarthy had a total haul three golds and two silver.
Romford’s swimmers will have another stab at top competition next month in the London Regional Championships and at their own meet, which will be held at the newly built Harrow Lodge Pool.
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