SIMON Mellor and Karen Leftley led the way at the 23rd Bracknell Masters Open Meeting.

The duo were Bracknell & Wokingham Swimming Club’s top performer at the prestigious competition.

This meeting was an emotional one as it celebrated the life of Mike Daniell who lost his battle with cancer in January, just weeks after competing in his last event.

Daniell was an honourary member who had represented the club for more than 40 years.

He was well-known throughout the British Swimming circuit and once held the British and European record over all three distances at butterfly.

A special butterfly relay for the new Mike Daniell Trophy took place at the recent meeting and there was a minute’s applause before swimmers took to the pool.

Bracknell News:

Gina Heyn is presented with the Mike Daniell Trophy by son, Ian, and grandson, Ben.

There were 28 competitors from B&WSC resulting in a staggering 19 individual gold medals, 24 silvers and 15 bronze.

In addition, they also secured one gold, nine silver and three bronze medals in the relay races, breaking nine Bracknell Masters records along the way.

Kirsty Johnson got the ball rolling with gold in the 100m individual medley in a new Bracknell record time. She also claimed gold in the 50m freestyle and silver in the 200m butterfly in another club record and the 100m freestyle.

Mark Straw broke his age-group record by 17 seconds in the 100m individual medley then finished third in the 200m freestyle. He topped that with silver medals in the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle in another record time.

Leftley began her medal haul with silver in the 100m individual medley followed by three gold medals in 50m freestyle and both the 100m and 50m breaststroke, before another silver in the 100m freestyle.

Kyran Edmunds walked away with an incredible five golds in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, the 100m individual medley and the 100m freestyle.

Bracknell News:

Karen Leftley was the top BWSC female swimmer at the Masters event.

Ian Daniell, Mike’s son, finished fourth in his age group in the 200m butterfly and secured podium places in the 100m individual medley (2nd), 50m backstroke (3rd), 50m freestyle (3rd) and 50m butterfly (3rd).

Johnson was second in her age group in the 200m butterfly with a new club record.

Nicki Thorpe managed to win her age group, with Jenny Crittenden and Mellor second in theirs, all three in a new club record time.

Catherine Shearn came second in her age group and Sasha Forster third.

The medals were soon rolling in for Mellor who took gold in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle plus silver in the 50m backstroke and bronze in the 100m individual medley.

Thorpe also secured gold in the 100m breaststroke and silver in the 200m individual medley. Shearn landed silver in the 100m butterfly while Terry Wright claimed bronze in the 100m and 50m freestyle.

Laura Cooke won gold in the 50m freestyle, silver in the 200m freestyle and bronze in the 50m butterfly, while Rachel Langton took gold in the 100m backstroke and silver in the 50m backstroke before debutante Kathryn Martin won bronze in the 200m backstroke.

Further success followed for Georgie Vlatas with golds in the 100m and 50m breaststroke plus silver in the 200m and 50m freestyle.

John Williamson won gold in both 100m breaststroke and 50m backstroke plus bronze in the 200m freestyle, while Jim Hunter clinched silver in the 200m freestyle.

Gary Dressel claimed first place in the 100m individual medley and 100m freestyle and set a club record at 50m breaststroke for fourth place.

John Sinclair went home with a bronze in the 100m freestyle on his Masters debut. Chris Ehinger took gold in the 50m backstroke, silver at 100m backstroke and bronze at 50m freestyle.

Bracknell News:

Simon Mellor was the top BWSC male swimmer.

Greg Adams also set a new club record in the 100m backstroke by 0.05 secs after winning gold in the 50m backstroke and silver in the 50m freestyle.

Simon Whiteside gained silver in the freestyle relay and bronze in the medley relay.

Caroline Atkinson shaved three seconds off the 50m freestyle club record.

Bracknell dominated the 200+ men’s relay where their two teams entered finished just 0.06 secs apart.

The Mike Daniell mixed 4x25m butterfly relay was won by Cooke, Leftley and Wright, with Ian Daniell swimming the final leg to pip Bracknell clubmates Thorpe, Langton, Hunter and Ehinger.

Bracknell’s Masters Coach, Jim Dobinson, presented Teddington Swimming Club with their Top Club award, with Gina Heyn and Mark Deakin finishing top female and male swimmer.

Heyn also won the Mike Daniell 200m Butterfly Trophy which was presented by son, Ian, and grandson, Ben.