Last updated at 14:33, Thursday, 05 July 2012

RECORDS tumbled and gold medals were hoarded as Pennington Primary School produced a masterstroke in the pool at Sheffield.

RELAY GOOD: The victorious Pennington Primary School swimming team proudly display their trophy haul. Left to right: Megan Roper, Reuben Atherton, Tom Robinson, Owen Minnican, Shona McMeekin and Rebecca Fell MILTON HAWORTH REF: 50035228B001

Two teams from the South Cumbrian school made history as they won the medley and freestyle relays at the English Schools Championships and broke the competition records at the same time.

The Year 6 and Year 5 pupils, taking part in the small schools event, blasted their way through qualifying and blew the 24-school strong competition out of the water with dominant displays in the final at Ponds Forge.

The medley relay team of Tom Robinson, Rebecca Fell, Reuben Atherton and Megan Roper clocked a new record in the heats and then broke that mark in the final, as they came home in 1.03.05 from their four 25m lengths.

It was a feat repeated by the freestyle relay squad – which included Robinson, Fell and Roper, plus Owen Minnican – whose time in the heats was a new competition record for less than a day as they eclipsed it with victory in the final in 58.04 seconds.

By winning both relays, Pennington were crowned overall schools champion for the whole country, while the records saw them record a unique achievement.

Coach and school vice-chair of governors Helen Robinson said: “They have two national records now and the organisers don’t think that has ever been done by a team at the finals before.

“To break the records in the heats and then the finals in both events, they don’t think anyone has done that.

“It was absolutely tremendous. They are only 11 and to be national champions great.

“A lot of the other schools we competed against are private schools with their own pools and this is a credit to the children and to the club as well.

“To get four national records in one day is great – the kids were brilliant.”

Coached by Robinson and Darren Fell, the children – the majority of whom swim for Ulverston Amateur Swimming Club – dived into the pool for extra training sessions every Sunday.

These paid off in regional qualifying in Salford, with Pennington – who won two golds last year at the same event – qualifying to represent the North West region with victory.

They were joined at Ponds Forge by teams from Chetwynde School, Barrow, who finished fourth in the medley event in 1.10.10 and fifth in the freestyle relay in 1.03.76.

First published at 13:41, Thursday, 05 July 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk