SWIMMING: Halton had to settle for second best in the final gala of the Merseyside & District League season - and indeed, in the overall Division One standings.
Victory would have sealed the title for Halton but the honours went to Bootle & North Liverpool, who got the win they needed to clinch the championship.
Halton got off to a great start, heading the medley relays for an early lead.
There were wins for the 13-years girls' team of Robin Bright, Sally Noble, Becky Tomlinson and Anna Navis; the 15s team of Louise Wallbank, Sarah Louise Banner, Lucy Myler and Amy Bellfield, and open-age quartet Lucy Myler, Katie Holmes, Stephanie Mahoney and Heather Jones.
In the individual events, William Warburton took both the 13/u backstroke and breaststroke events with teammate Andrew Matthews winning the freestyle in 28.8.
The 13/u girls events saw good wins for Louise Wallbank in the 50m backstroke in a great time of 33.9, while Katie Holmes took the 50m breast stroke in 35.7.
Sarah Louise Banner was absolutely electric at the start of the 15/u 50m freestyle and stormed away to win in 29.3.
Lucy Myler is now becoming the one to beat and she eased to wins at 50m butterfly and backstroke.
In the open-age group, butterfly Stephanie Mahoney hit the turn second to Amanda Brown of Bootle.
But great underwater kicking put Steph in front and she came home comfortably in 31.0, then proceeded to take the 100m backstroke in 1:11.0.
A great result from the 11u girls' team of Amy Anderson, Nichola Garner, Lorna Marnell and Sarah Steele in edging out Bootle kept Halton in it.
But despite wins from Halton's 13 & 15 years' girls teams, Bootle & North Liverpool came out on top.
Finishing positions were: 1 Bootle & North Liverpool; 2 Halton; 3 Holywell; 4 Liverpool Penguins; 5 Connah's Quay.
