NOVEMBER was a busy month for Redditch Swimming Club as they competed in three galas and completed their own club championships.

First off the 9–12 year olds entered in the Solihull Junior Relay Gala.

Against strong opposition, wins were hard to come by.

The boys nine year old backstroke squad of Will Moss, Tom Savage, James Coward and Jack Harding took one and the ten-year-old girls Madeleine Rhodes, Alice Fish, Niamh Lewis, Amelia Tompkin and Francesca Phillips took breaststroke and butterfly firsts.

The nine year old girls squad of Caitlin Britt, Isobel Griffiths, Poppy McGourlay and Talia Mitchell took three second places in breaststroke, backstroke and freestyle.

The girls 11 and under breaststroke team of Nicola Moss, Caitlin Britt, Niamh Lewis and Amelia Tompkin) added another second and the 12 and under boys team of Chris Sutton-Smith, Taylor Hartley, David Green, Rick Monk, Braiden Hartles and Dan Bridgman took second in breaststroke and butterfly.

Redditch were in a comfortable third place at the end of the night.

Results: 1-Leicester Penguins 191; 2- Halesowen 175; 3- Redditch 143; 4- Solihull Amber 107; 5- Solihull Black 96; 6- Haden Hill 55; 7- Warley Wasps 50.

Next stop was an outing for the full team in the second round of the National Swimming League held at Bromsgrove.

Club captain Paul Wilkes took individual wins in the open age butterfly and individual medley and Dan Ruckwood also won twice in backstroke and freestyle.

Braiden Hartles came first in the 11 and under freestyle and Lucy Knibbs took the 15 and under breaststroke.

A further victory was scored by the boys open medley relay of Dan Ruckwood, Craig Newton, Paul Wilkes, and Richard Fleeman. Individual seconds were achieved by Adam Watson, Nicola Moss, Sophie Bridgman, Laura Cranshaw and Rachael Fellows.

Relay seconds were scored by the 11and under boys freestyle team of Ricky Monk, Dan Bridgman, Braiden Hartles, Adam Watson and the boys open freestyle team of Dan Ruckwood, Robert Stanley, Craig Newton, Richard Fleeman, Gareth Ravenhill and Paul Wilkes.

Redditch were in a close battle with two other teams for third place throughout the evening and were disappointed to lose out by a single point.

Results: 1- Mansfield 223; 2- Wyre Forest 200; 3- Brierley Hill 163; 4- Redditch 162; 5- Witney and District 156; 6- Cheltenham 132.

RSC hosted their own Gala on November 22 at Droitwich and scored a resounding win.

There were individual wins for nine-year-olds Isobel Wilson, Will Moss and Caitlin Britt (two), ten-year-olds Francesca Phillips and Amelia Tompkin (two), 11- year olds Nicola Moss and Braiden Hartles and 12 year old David Green(two).

More success came in the relays with the nine year olds being undefeated as the girls team of Isobel Wilson, Caitlin Britt, Isobel Griffiths and Poppy McGourlay and the boys team of Will Moss, Tom Savage, James Coward and James Higgins each took two wins.

The ten year old boys team of Oliver Thomson, Jake Rowland, Will Moss and Anant Kapoor won freestyle and the 11 year old girls team of Hayley Rose, Amelia Tompkin, Nicola Moss and Eleanor Mills won their medley.

The 12- year-old boys team of Braiden Hartles, David Green, Taylor Hartley and Ricky Monk won freestyle.

The mixed age boys team of Will Moss, James Coward, Jake Rowland, Anant Kapoor, Dan Bridgman, Hartles, Green and Hartley added yet another win.

In the final event of the night the mixed relay . Caitlin Britt, Will Moss, Amelia Tompkin, Jake Rowland, Nicola Moss, Braiden Hartles, Molly Dutton and David Green were cheered home in first.

Results: 1- Redditch 252; 2- Orion 227; 3- Perry Beeches 190; 4- Bromsgrove 170.