A TEAM of 41 swimmers from Ledbury & District ASC, including 14 who had never represented the club before, enjoyed a successful first round of the PGL league at Ross-on-Wye with a clear win by 11 points.

As part of the club's development strategy, team selection for this league is mainly aimed at those swimmers who are not selected for the Wyvern League, to offer valuable team experience and also extend the number of members actively involved in team galas.

With great support from the spectators throughout the gala, the swimmers recorded 27 out of a possible 29 personal best times in the individual events.

It was a nerve wracking night for the new youngest swimmers, competing in the nine years relays. Alice Quigley, Amelia Butler, Katherine Berry, William Brown, Daniel Adair, Sam Cotton and Harrison Wilce combined with the more experienced Caitlin Clark, Lucy Stokes, Charlie Green and David Middleton and swam well on all the strokes, were sound on their take-overs and displayed great enthusiasm, with the girls winning three of their four events.

Also new to the squad, Anna Bird (12/u freestyle), Jenny Simpson (11/u breaststroke) and Eloise Van Vuren (10/u freestyle), all swam faster than ever before, not only winning their events but clocking times to make the selectors take notice.

Other fine debut swims in new personal best times came from Chris Tedds (second,10/u breaststroke), Jonathan Lea (2nd,10/u butterfly), Amy Jones (second,11/u butterfly) and George Oliver, who was the winner of the 10/u backstroke.

Maximum points and great wins also came from Jenna Clark (11/u breaststroke), Victoria Watkins (11/u freestyle), David Middleton (11/u butterfly), George Cusworth (12/u freestyle) and Kate Docherty (11/u backstroke).

To add to the excitement of the races there is an upper time level set by the league, when a swimmer goes too fast they are credited as 'speeding', their time slip is marked as such and their points are negated.

In one race three of the four teams received speeding tickets leaving the slowest swimmer to pick up maximum points.

LADASC 10-year-olds Amber Watson (breaststroke), Joe Bloxsome (freestyle) and Caitlin Clark (backstroke) all swam much improved times and received speeding tickets, as did Alison Pudge in the 12/u butterfly. This is good news for other members of the squad who now may get a chance of swimming that race in the next round.

There were 25 relays on the programme, most of them extremely close and with all the swimmers and spectators participating in exuberant cheering, it was very difficult for the competitors to remain calm and focused.

Senior swimmers, Rachael Lea, Mark Hinton and Charlotte Wilce were tasked by team managers to re-assure the less experienced team members and endeavour to direct their concentration to their own performance.

With some outstanding swims, notably from newcomers, John Vince and Odge Davey, LADASC were delighted to be the only team not to have any disqualifications. The final results were, Ledbury 160, Cheltenham 149, Worcester 132, Ross-on-Wye 95.

Training will continue during half term in preparation for the Worcester County 800m and 1500m events at Hereford on February 14 and 22, and the forthcoming third round of the Wyvern League.

If you would like to learn more about the club there is an informative website, www.ladascf9.co.uk, or ring Viv Jones on 01531 660692.