A small group of Stevenage swimmers were competing for medals at the high-level Luton open meet at the Barnet Copthall pool. The meet, which is a UK East Region swimming championships qualifying event, attracted some of the region s top swimmers. Three St

A small group of Stevenage swimmers were competing for medals at the high-level Luton open meet at the Barnet Copthall pool.

The meet, which is a UK East Region swimming championships qualifying event, attracted some of the region's top swimmers.

Three Stevenage swimmers still managed to sweep the competition aside to win their events.

In the boys' events, a gold medal winner was Tom Marsland in the 14 year 50m breaststroke, to which he added a bronze in the 100m breaststroke.

And in the 11 year group, Joe Mileusnic swam a lifetime best in the 200m backstroke, missing out on a regional qualifying time by just one-10th of a second.

In the 13 year boys' competition, Jake Robinson won silver medals in the 50m breaststroke and 400m individual medley, and bronze in the 200m freestyle and individual medley events, setting a new club age group record for 400m IM.

In the same age group, Joe Lacy produced personal best performances in a number of events, winning silver in the 50m fly and bronze in both the 200m freestyle and individual medley events.

Danny Buckley swam a new personal best time to win bronze in the 200m backstroke and achieved regional qualifying times in two events.

In the girls' competition, Christie Bays was the top performer with a clean sweep of gold medals in the 10 and 11 year 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke events, adding a silver in the 50m freestyle.

In the same age group, Emily Gaston recorded a new personal best time in the 50m backstroke, and Jessica Jackson improved her club 11-year-old 200m backstroke record and set a new fastest time in the 100m freestyle.

The third of the gold medal winners was Carina Bays in the 13 year age group where she collected a gold in the 50m breaststroke and a bronze in the 200m breaststroke.

Following impressive performances by Stevenage in the first two rounds of the Herts Major League, many of the swimmers at Barnet over the weekend will be back in the pool for the senior team this weekend in the final round at Potters Bar.

The team has qualified as one of the top six clubs who will be competing for promotion to the top division for 2009.