BECCLES Town Swimming Club were crowned champions of the Suffolk Development Championships last weekend. A team of over 60 swimmers went down to Ipswich for the weekend long event involving every competitive club in the county.

BECCLES Town Swimming Club were crowned champions of the Suffolk Development Championships last weekend.

A team of over 60 swimmers went down to Ipswich for the weekend long event involving every competitive club in the county.

What made the weekend even more amazing is that not only did the club take home the top club award with a staggering 1,235 points but they also scooped top boy and top girls awards too.

Robert Thurtell brought back the top boys award followed by Sophie Podd for the girls with Rachel Doran taking second closely behind. It was a complete mix of ages that turned up ranging from the more senior of Ellie Clarke and Club Coach Tim Millett to the younger nine 9 year olds.

Every swimmer took part in a mix of events and everyone played their part in and out of the pool to make sure Beccles returned successful.

The talented nine year olds got the ball rolling in each event. The 12 team consisted of for the girls Melissa Bygrave, Imogen Long, Nina Howell, Tamara Spooner and Hannah Stokes. For the boys Josh Birch leading the way with an impressive 200m Fly followed by great swims from Elliot Fenn, Matthew Seaman, Sam Norton, Kieran Hayward, Thomas Hayward and Ross Barnshaw. All these swimmers along with the 10-year-old boys of Matthew Hayward and Eric Chapman were swimming in Ipswich for the first time and were not fazed by the surroundings.

Also competing for the first time in Ipswich for the 10 year old girls were Hannah Barnes, Lauren Howe and Eleanor Boardman who did not look out of place along side their age team mates Eleanor McGrath, Felicity Putman and Elena Catchpole who used their experience to gain several top three places. Robert Thurtell's age group, the boys 11 years saw some impressive swims from Charles Lees, Dalton Yallop, Matthew Stokes and Regan Woodard.

The girls 11 year age group was painted green with eight Kingfisher swimmers. Jenny Beevor lead the way getting fourth top girl followed by her team mates Nina Bircham, Amy Howell, Eleanor Capps-Jenner, Laura Podd, Bonnie Birch, Bethany Rogers and Elizabeth Byrne.

For the 12-year-old girls the duo of Lucy Pye and Sophie Bircham kept the points tally going.

Louise Shepherdson finish equal fourth top girl swimming in the 13 year olds with team mates Laura Catchpole, Eleanor Chick, Jenny Seaman, Charlotte Palmer and top girl Sophie Podd. For the Boys William Pye lead the points for the 13-year-old boys closely followed by Thomas Taylor with some strong distance swims and the ever improving pair of Jacob Barber and Macauley Woodard.

It also set the stage for Lily Capps-Jenner to mark her come back into competitive swimming with a strong fly swim in the girls 14-year-old age group. Following her team mates Ellen Nelson and Fly champion Philippa Doran. Both giving the open swimmers a good run.

A total of 14 swimmers from Beccles took part in the open age group, the likes of injured Jonny Harrison and Steven Kirby fighting through the pain barrier, Jonny collecting fifth top boy. Captains Robert Beaumont and Lindsey Sale put in great swims. Followed by for the girls Zanna Yallop, Rachel Doran, Ellie Clarke, Amber Bircham and Alice Jennison. The boys Richard Clarke, Alfie Chapman , Douglas Olley, Tim Millett, and Karl Palmer finished the line-up.

An amazingly successful weekend for the club, with a big thanks to all those that helped along the way.

The top five teams of the weekend as follows: 1 Beccles 1235, 2 Lowestoft and OB 635, 3 Ipswich 562, 4 West Suffolk 542 5 Sudbury 456. Well done all.