AFTER finishing third in the previous round, the third round of the Bluebell Properties Junior Swimming League saw a somewhat depleted Monnow team struggle against the larger clubs.
Just one win, four second places and 10 third places left too many minor places for the 53 event five club competition to provide the team challenge needed at this level. However, some of the regular team members and many of the deputies posted 34 personal best times for future team consideration.
Gareth Johns accumulated his share of points by winning the 13 year backstroke, finishing second in the butterfly and third in his freestyle event.
He also gave the 13 year boys' team a fine start in their freestyle relay and although two of the regular team were unfit to compete, good support from James Donnachie, Simon Bucknell and John Brewer enabled the team to claim a third place ahead of Ledbury and Hereford.
Monnow's other second places were claimed by Arianna Lawrence in the 10 year breaststroke, just 0.03 of a second behind the winner, Jennie Bucknell, in the 13 year breaststroke and the nine year boys' medley relay team (William Lawrence, Greg Riddell, David Wan and George Orchart).
Valuable third place points were added by Robert green in the 15 year boys' backstroke, butterfly and freestyle, plus David Link and Alicia Phelps (both for backstroke) and Edward Kowal (butterfly) in the 11 year age group.
Further third place points were gained by the girls' medley team which included Rachael Bennett, Arianna Lawrence, Laura Riddell and Alicia Phelps, plus the 15 year boys' freestyle team of Luke Rollings, Alisdair Viner, Alan Smithies and Robert Green.
As expected Worcester made sure they won in their own pool by 60 points, but Ledbury, winners of the previous two rounds, only managed to hang onto second place by one point ahead of Cwmbran, with Hereford and Monnow finishing fourth and fifth.
Hopefully the next round at Pontypool will enable Monnow to improve their league position as both Worcester and Ledbury have to miss this round which will make the competition more open for the other four teams taking part.