Sunny and warm conditions welcomed a large field to the annual City of Chester Dee Mile, where Wirral-based swimmers delivered standout performances across several categories.
Woodchurch Dominates Wetsuit Categories
In the wetsuit category, Woodchurch enjoyed a highly successful day as Oscar Jones and Ivan Gately both claimed first place in their respective age groups. They were closely followed by Stephen Jones and Caroline Gavin, who also posted strong finishes.
In the 60-70 age group, Elaine Cooke of Southport touched second, with Karen Barton taking fourth. Liverpool’s Austin Clark, Gareth Marshall, and James Billows all completed the course, as did Wallasey’s Elaine Opara, Dave Featherstone of Warrington Tri, and Tara Clark of Bootle and North Liverpool.
Warrington Clubs Excel in Non-Wetsuit and Half Mile Events
In the non-wetsuit category, two Warrington clubs took centre stage. Alexandra Miron of Warrington Dolphins finished first in the Under 40 age group, while Julie Trevor secured second in her age group, just ahead of Jo Yellen. Fiona Byrne of Warrington Warriors also claimed a first-place finish.
Mersey Tri was well represented, with Jan Rigby taking fifth in the 40-50 age group. Club colleagues Jacqui Dennis and Gemma Taylor both achieved good times, as did Katrina Hannabus in the Under 40 section. George Cecchini of Wallasey finished sixth in the Under 40 age group.
In the Half Mile wetsuit event, Woodchurch achieved a clean sweep as William Hughes took the men’s Under 40 title and Grace Milnes won the ladies’ Under 40 crown.
Warrington Masters Shine at Manchester Aquatic
Meanwhile, at the Manchester Aquatic pool, Warrington Masters enjoyed a productive outing at the Northern Wave Meet. Mark Jones led the team with three golds and two silvers. In the 50m events, Ben Harkin collected three golds and a silver, Carl Barkley took two golds and two silvers, Spencer Glover secured two golds, and Neil Barnes earned a gold and a silver.
Michael Rimmington delivered an excellent swim in the 100m Freestyle to take gold, while Lindsay Houlston picked up silvers in both the 50m and 100m Freestyle. Hoylake’s Lee Newcombe finished fifth in a competitive 50m Backstroke event.
