RUGBY Swimming Club’s artistic swimmers won eight medals, including six gold’s, at the National Age Group Championships.
Another stellar showing from the club saw Rugby’s swimmers win six gold, one silver and one bronze medal on the national stage.
The competition, the most prestigious of its kind for the nation’s top young artistic swimmers, took place at the GL1 Leisure Centre in Gloucester.
A total of 26 swimmers from Rugby qualified to take part in the event which took place over two days of competition.
Rugby won gold in the youth figures event as Victoria Sharashkina took the national title with a stunning performance in a field of 163 swimmers.
In the 12-and-under figures competition, Alice Danielson proved Rugby’s highest-placed athlete with a 15th-place finish in a 114-strong field.
The duet of Lola Huett and Frankie Klym won gold in the youth category with a high-energy performance that elevated them to the top of the podium.
And the pair of Aaron Lee and Keva Ennis, with Christina Kapiris as reserve, won gold in the youth mixed duet event with a powerful and perfectly synchronised routine.
In the team events, the 12-and-under combo squad of Maisie Austin-Roberts, Payton Gaskin, Esme Ravenhall, Elsa Gaskin, Lily Bartholomew, Katerina Myronova, Emily Secher and Jessie Slater finished outside of the medals despite a vibrant swim.
And the youth combo team of Lee, Amelie Jeary, Catherine Yu, Izzy Watkins, Sophie Croft, Ruby Shepherd, Charlotte Wilkins, Darcey Townsend and Mellinda Bogdanova, with Caitlin-Rose Smith as reserve, secured bronze with a tightly-synchronised routine.
Sharashkina won another medal for Rugby after she claimed silver in the youth solo category while Ennis produced another confident routine.
In the 12-and-under duet, sisters Alice and Florence Danielson impressed judges with their control, expression and maturity to claim the national title and another gold medal for Rugby.
The 12-and-under free team of Izzy Maglione, A Danielson, F Danielson, Secher, Myronova, Gaskin, Slater and Austin-Roberts, with Bartholomew as reserve, also won gold with a dynamic and energetic routine.
Rugby also took home the Richard Whitehead Trophy, awarded to the highest-performing 12-and-under free team.
And the youth free team of Sharashkina, Ennis, Lee, Kapiris, Huett and Klym, with Jeary as reserve, closed the competition in style with a dynamic and technical routine to win gold.
The performance earned Rugby the Mrs Y M Price Trophy, awarded to the top-scoring youth free team nationally.
And Rugby swimmer Lee has earned a place in the England national youth training squad following his performances at the National Age Group Championships.
Rugby’s head coach, Hannah Secher, said: “It has been a weekend of pride, performance and club spirit, with Rugby Artistic Swimming Club’s athletes demonstrating their talent – from first-time NAGs qualifiers to seasoned national champions.
“Their commitment, teamwork and competitive focus were evident throughout the weekend, making this one of the club’s most successful National Age Groups to date.”
