THE Beccles Kingfishers Swimming Club began another season in the top flight of the County Summer League in encouraging fashion. After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Beccles once more were fighting it out with the county's top teams in this year Summer League.

THE Beccles Kingfishers Swimming Club began another season in the top flight of the County Summer League in encouraging fashion.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Beccles once more were fighting it out with the county's top teams in this year Summer League.

Seen as one of the smaller clubs in the league, Beccles got off to a great start and sent a shock through the other teams taking part showing that they weren't looking to just make up the numbers in their third year of being in the top flight.

The night got off to a great start as Jenny Beevor and Robert Thurtell kicked things off.

The two more experienced swimmers put the pressure on from the off with strong swims in the boys and girls 100m individual medley.

Jenny picked up a good second place which she later matched in her 100m freestyle and breaststroke events, as did Robert in his 100m breaststroke event. Jenny's team-mate Nina Bircham, another experienced swimmer, took maximum points with two first places in her 100m backstroke and butterfly races.

To round off the 13 and under age group Dalton Yallop put in his best performance so far in his races getting two personal bests for 100m freestyle and backstroke.

In the 12/u age group Rhianna James set the pace in the 50m butterfly event with another first place for the team and a great pb. Hannah Barnes secured two solid third places and a pb in her 50m backstroke race while for the boys Elliot Fenn, who was swimming up an age group, secured a third place in his 50m breaststroke race, with a further pb for Matthew Seaman in his 50m freestyle event.

Elliot also took second and a great pb swimming breaststroke in his own 11/u age group. Melissa Bygrave joined the list of first places in the 50m breaststroke for the 11/u girls as did her team-mate Tamara Spooner in her 50m freestyle event followed by a strong second in her 50m butterfly race. Nina Howell and Josh Birch rounded off the great 11/u performances with a second (Nina) and third (Josh) place in their 50m backstroke events.

Not to be outdone by the older swimmers the 10/u age group made sure they more than matched their team-mates' efforts. Katie Howell and Matthew Doran kicked things off with two great pbs each in 50m backstroke and freestyle. It was left to Sophie Thurtell and Henry Barnes to battle it out in their 50m butterfly and breaststroke races. Henry secured two second places and a pb in his breaststroke race and Sophie a third in her breaststroke event.

Those great individual races along with some brilliant relay events really put the Beccles squad in the mix and at the end of the night's first round saw the club reach its highest position in the Summer League.

The club will now go into round two sitting in an impressive second place in the league, showing how far they have come over the past few years following their promotion in 2008.

It sets up an exciting round two gala which Beccles will be Hosting on May 22, at Bungay pool.

League standings: 1 Lowestoft and OB 211 points, 2 Beccles 185, 3 Stowmarket 181, 4 Great Yarmouth 162 and 5 Deben A 143.

If you would like more information on joining the club can contact Tim on 07727125427 or tim.kingfishers@hotmail.com

Meanwhile, Halesworth swimmer Neil Howell completed in the Guernsey International Gala for the seventh time last week. The venue was the magnificent Beau Sejour Leisure Centre.

Over 150 swimmers from 34 schools were scheduled to take part. Due to flight disruptions almost half were unable to travel.

The veteran simmer travelled with his family to the Channel Islands earlier in the week to join other competitors who made the journey from the United Kingdom. Some German swimmers were also successful in making the trip.

Despite the smaller numbers competition was still keen. Howell achieved identical results as he did in 2009.

The East Anglian Swallow Tails representative swam five races in the three-day event. He won the 200m, 100m and 50m breaststroke races and gained the runners-up position in both the 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle.

One of the swimmers was Roger Allsopp, who in 2006, became the oldest British swimmer to swim the English Channel at the age of 65.