COLCHESTER Swimming Club took a large team of 68 members to the popular Braintree and Dunmow Christmas Cracker Meet.

Their team was made up of youngsters from all squads and they were up against swimmers from across Essex, Suffolk and London.

Colchester had a tremendous weekend, with swimmers achieving both county and regional qualifying times, as well as coming home with a host of medals.

In total, they won 246 medals and ended as the top club. They also claimed both the top boy and top girl awards.

For the boys, Kai Cheng, 12, won with a total of 11 medals, including four gold, three silver, two bronze and two other medal-placing finishes.

For the girls, it was a close battle between team-mates Anita Tien, 11, and Ciara Wookey, 12.

Anita won nine golds and two silvers while Ciara won ten gold and one bronze.

They both totalled 64 points and the top girl award went to Anita, by virtue of her being the younger swimmer.

Other gold medal winners were:

Boys: Zac Troman (three gold and five other medals), Isaac Farrugia (1 + 2), Charlie Pryke (1 + 11), James Tree (2 + 8), Owen Williams (1 + 6), Ben Hardy (1 + 3), Chris Ashdown (3 + 6), Nick Mitchell (2 + 3), Thomas Grieve (2 + 4) and Alex Cole (1).

Girls: Seren Page (1 + 9), Lucy Toms (1 + 4), Charlotte Norman (2 + 1), Charlotte Tree (2 + 6), Rebecca Girolami (3 + 5), Niamh Higgins (1 + 3), Sophie Talbot 1+ 4).

Other medal winners, on what proved a very successful weekend for the club, were:

Boys: Hayden Chamberlain (five medals), Alfie Francis (8), Dan Himsworth (1), Mark Milburn (2), Felix Szpakowski (1), Kalaum Korani (5), William Eastell (2), Sam Bentley (2), Chris Thompson (3), Luke Ledwidge (4), Joe Cole (3), Oliver Cox (3), Jamie Coles (9) and Alex Tinnion (3).

Girls: Isobel Eastell (4), Amy Johnson (9), Sophie Baker (4), Ila Nicholson (1), Georgia Bleck (1), Molly Grieve (3), Eloise Smart (4), Lottie Talbot (3), Molly Redgrave (6), Lauren Himsworth (2), Zoe Clegg (7), Annie Bayliss (4), Ruby Watson (4) and Bronte Jordan (2).

Other swimmers who, while not medalling, swam some excellent races, achieving personal best times, were:

Boys: Antonio Giralami, Joe Tilley, Edward Cox and Sam Toon.

Girls: Roisin Higgins, Daisy Himsworth, Amy Milburn, Olivia Vinter, Isobel Fifield, Holly McCarthy, Keara Hemsworth, Ruby Chalmers, Madison Ottley, Alanna Brosnan, Amie Apps, Jasmin Bayliss, Hannah O’Malley, Anola Jordan and Amelia Duley.

This was the last Open Meet for most before their Christmas break, after which most of the above swimmers will be looking forward to their County Championships starting in January.

Their tremendous successes at this meet will certainly have given them the confidence to do well.