RTW Monson Shines at South-East Winter Regional Championships

Swimmers from RTW Monson kicked off their season in spectacular style at the South-East Winter Regional Championships last weekend, bringing home an impressive haul of medals, personal bests, and finals appearances. 

Held in Winchester, the meet marked the first major event of the season for many of the club’s swimmers, who all qualified in an open category - and they certainly rose to the challenge. 

Representing RTW Monson were: Olivia Cooley, Chloe Edwards, Julia Elvidge, Jess Gable, Reese Huckle, Bella Jones, Josh Hill, Billie Ballach, Jess Evans, Imogen Myles, Emilia Oliver, Olivia Quiller, Zoe Tollit, Lowri Williams, Aubry Armada Bennett, Aran Bissett, Maddie Hind, Chengze Duan, Mae Davies, Ilana Nightingale-Ellis, Lilly Deller, and Isla Marshall.A special mention goes to Phoebe Gage, 17 and Elsie Saffer, 13, who made their debut at this level of competition. 

The weekend began on a high note with some brilliant performances in the opening sessions. 16-year-old Imogen Myles led the charge with double gold in the Girls’ 100m Breaststroke, topping both the Junior and Open categories. Josh Hill, 16, took silver in the Junior Boys’ 200m Backstroke, while Jess Gable, 18, earned silver in the Open 50m Freestyle. 

There were also strong swims from Julia Elvidge, Bella Jones, Aubry Armada Bennett, Chengze Duan, Maddie Hind, and Olivia Quiller, all of whom reached finals in their respective events. 

In the second session, 17-year-old Aran Bissett added another gold for RTW Monson in the Boys’ Open 200m Individual Medley, with Aubry Armada Bennett, 17, finishing fifth in the B-Final. 

Session three saw even more podium finishes as Imogen added another double gold in the 50m Breaststroke, Aran grabbed silver in the Open 50m Breaststroke, and Josh claimed bronze in the Junior 100m Backstroke. There were further strong swims from Maddie Hind, Ilana Nightingale-Ellis, Chengze Duan, Julia Elvidge, and Zoe Tollit, all posting top junior times. 

RTW Monson’s success continued into Sunday with another series of standout results. 16-year-old Maddie Hind struck gold in the Junior 100m Butterfly and took silver in the Open category, while Chengze, 18, powered to gold in the Open 100m Butterfly. 

Other swimmers making finals included Ilana Nightingale-Ellis, Bella Jones, Julia Elvidge, Jessica Gable, Emilia Oliver, and Josh Hill, each putting in impressive performances. 

In the fifth session Aran took gold in the Boys’ Open 100m Individual Medley, and Emilia Oliver, 17, earned silver in the Girls’ Open 200m Individual Medley. Aubry also impressed with a fifth-place finish in the A-Final. 

The final session capped off the weekend in perfect style, with Imogen completing a clean sweep of all breaststroke events, earning six gold medals in total, and winning both the Junior and Open 200m Breaststroke titles. Olivia Quiller, 14, added silver in the Junior event, while Aran and Chengze both took silver in the Open 100m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly respectively. 

Maddie continued her fantastic form with silver in the Junior 50m Butterfly and bronze in the Open, while Jess Gable secured bronze in the Open 100m Freestyle. 

There were also strong finals appearances from Bella Jones and Lilly Deller, both finishing among the top Junior swimmers on the day. 

By the end of the championships, RTW Monson swimmers had earned a total of ten gold, eight silver, and two bronze medals, which rewarded the hard work of both swimmers and coaches. Coach Richard Smith said, “It was a fantastic start to the season. The swimmers showed real determination and team spirit, and everyone should be proud of what they achieved.”

Although official confirmation has yet to be given, it is highly anticipated that RTW Monson will have several swimmers securing their place for the Geneva competition with Swim England’s South-East Region.