TEENAGERS from Winsford Swim Team climbed the national rankings as a reward for their performances in the pool at the British Summer Championships last week.

Alisha Hawkins, Adam Blackshaw and Jordan Gaskell set personal bests, with the latter narrowly missing out on a medal in the under 16s boys’ 200m butterfly final after finishing fourth.

“He just ran out of water,” said head coach Dan Goodwin.

“It was an incredible swim – he was catching the swimmer in third all the way down the last length.”

On the opening day at Ponds Forge, Gaskell had timed 59.32s – another lifetime best – in the under 16s boys’ 100m butterfly to classify 17th overall.

Hawkins clocked 1.06.61 in the under 14s girls’ 100m butterfly to rank 12th, then claimed 14th place in the 800m freestyle in the same age category after finishing in 9.29.01.

Blackshaw and Gaskell both reached a national final for the first time on the third day of competition, the former improving on his previous best after timing 2.13.83 in the under 15s boys’ 200m butterfly.

He went faster still in the final, finishing ninth.

Gaskell’s heroics followed, clocking 2.08.33 in the under 16s boys’ final.

Goodwin added: “It’s fantastic for both of them to be finalists, and to race against the best fly swimmers in the country.

“But they did not want to stop there, and executed perfectly a plan to be quicker when they got back in the water.”

Hawkins concluded her campaign in the under 14s girls’ 200m butterfly, finishing just outside her personal best in 2.36.43 after tiring in the second half of her heat.

Gaskell contested the under 16s boys’ 50m butterfly, timing 27.33s to rise three places up the rankings.

“The championships were a huge success for our swimmers,” said Goodwin.

“They can each take a lot from it – to achieve so many PBs is proof of the progress they’re making.”