CITY of Chester Swimming Club Masters team agonisingly finished second in the Cheshire County Masters Swimming Championships at Macclesfield.

Two new members helped them reach the podium in a field of 20 clubs.

Shona Rogers won the 45-49 age group with three first places and one second and Linda Worral gained two first places, a second and a third in the 50-54 group. Linda also set a new championship record in the 50m novice sprint.

John Darby (40-45) won his group with three second places.

Colette Hayes came second in the 55-60 group with three second place swims, two third places and one fourth.

Tony Fields finished second in the 60-64 age group while Brian Shenstone took the 70-74 group by winning all five of his events.

The points gained in the individual events were added to those won in the women’s 4x50m freestyle relay race swum by Helen Watterson, Colette Hayes, Linda Worrall and Shona Rogers who achieved second.

The same team finished second in the medley relay but were disqualified for a faulty takeover.

Meanwhile, City of Chester held its annual club championships, sponsored by Doorsteps of Handbridge.

In the under 9s Gareth Thacker and Simon Ellershaw both earned three gold medals.

For the girls Jessica Thomas swam to four golds while Lucy Fisher also took one.

The gold and silver medals in the 10-year-olds group were all shared between Jamie Thomas and Alex Slater with both smashing the club records for the 200m free, 500m free and 200m individual medley (IM).

Rebecca Neary Alice Chambers and Lauren Goodfellow claimed two golds each while Jessica Jackson took the final gold in a strong girls section.

Six gold medals went home with Cameron Winter in the 11s group leaving three to be won by Edward Spruce.

Top prizes were shared among five girls however, with Sophie Armstrong taking five golds, Alice Carr three, two for Molly Smith and one each for Emily Kench and Hollie McSalley-Bateman.

Reuben McCormack just pipped Alex Ankers in the 12s section, winning six golds to Ankers’ five.

Becky Eaglesham took eight of the girls golds however. Georgina Roberts had a double win and Lizzie Little and Becky Davis also took their share of gold.

Will Slater won all 11 events in the boys 13s while female counterpart Paula Clethro won nine. Lucy Stephenson and Amy O’Neill claimed the remaining two top spots.

Leo McCormack broke the club record for the 200m free on his way to 11 golds in the boys 14s.

The girls were slightly more evenly split, with Alice Howarth securing seven wins, Hannah Croft two and Sophie Goodchild two.

In the senior section Tom Allen won 11 gold medals and broke the club records for the 200m free, 500m free, 200m fly and 400m IM.

Hannah Oldfield was a seven-time winner with Alice Little taking two golds, and Gemma Clethro breaking the 200m fly record on her way to victory.