SWIMMING: THE opening day of the Cheshire County Swimming Championships, at Stockport, started slowly for Halton but fortunes improved as the day progressed.

Katie Holmes was terrific in the breaststroke and made her first national qualifying time to win the 14-year-olds' 100m breaststroke in 1:15.8.

In the 50m event, she smashed the county age group record to win in 34.7seconds.

Katie Scutt, swimming in her first County Championships, followed Holmes' example and won the 11 years 50m breast-stroke ahead of Hanna Mullings of Stockport Metro.

She also took the bronze medal in the 100m event with a great time of 1:26.6 just two tenths of a second outside her National Qualifying Time.

Lucy Myler began the day with a great gold-medal swim in the 14-year-olds' 50m butterfly and then came back in the evening to blow the opposition away in the 200m freestyle in a club-record time of 2:12.

Sarah-Louise Banner smashed her personal best times all day and picked up bronze medals in the 100m breast-stroke, 50m breaststroke and 50m butterfly for the 15-year-olds' age group. But her best effort came in reaching the senior 100m freestyle final with a three-second PB improvement (1:01.9).

In the open age 50m back-stroke, Stephanie Mahoney came back to form pushing Kim Jervis, of Hoylake, all the way to finish third in 31.7 with just 0.4 of a second separating the first three.

In the men's events William Warburton had a tough day finishing fourth in the 400m IM with a great PB 5:03.2, third in the 200m butterfly in a club-record 2:29.8 before forcing his way into the 100m freestyle final - breaking the one-minute mark for the first time with 0:59.7.

Will went from strength to strength and after being touched out in the 50m back-stroke for silver recovered to take the age group title for 50m butterfly.

Shaun Whitfield looked positive in the 100m freestyle and forced a final place with 58.6, a time he then re-produced in the final for sixth spot.

Mike Neil also looked powerful, hitting personal-best times for 50m butterfly and back-stroke - just missing the medals with fourth place, as did Andrew Matthews.

Andrew was so unlucky to miss the final of the 100m free-style. But for a mistake at the last turn, he would easily have broken the one-minute mark.

Luke Joseph, Laura Blyth, Robin Bright, John Navis, Craig Garner, Ellie Newby, Lindsay Jude, Louise Wallbank all made finals.

Amy Bellfield, Becky Tomlinson, Sophie Cannon, and Chris Newby gave good PB performances to support a great team showing.