The Final-race Victory Gave Kent Their First County Team Championship
After a close race for first place that went down to the wire, Kent won their first National County Team Championships trophy.
By winning the competition’s final event, they were able to edge out Yorkshire for first place in Division One by just four points.
With only two events left in the competition, Yorkshire overtook Kent, who had held a slim lead throughout. The two counties were tied on 442 points.
Although they had already won four races that afternoon, Kent won the Mixed Open 300m Freestyle Relay to take first place and elicit raucous cheers.
Additionally, they placed second five times, third once, and vastly improved upon their third-place finishes at the National County Team Championships in 2016 and 2019.
The defending champions Devon were in fourth place with a score of 396, followed by Northumberland & Durham in third place with 422 points.
Eva Okaro, who won the Women’s 16-17 Years 100m Freestyle and was a member of two successful relay teams, was important for Kent.
She participated in Kent’s victory in the Women’s 16-17 Years 200m Medley Relay alongside Caitlin Ebbage, Aaliyah Richards, and Bella Cottrell.
Additionally, James Cleaver, Frederick Jones, Annie Sanders, Filip Grigoras, and Madeleine Evans were also on Okaro’s Mixed Open 300m Freestyle Team.
Despite Swim Wales East’s Harley James closing in on Evans in the final 25 meters, Evans put forth a valiant effort and managed to win the race by just 0.60 seconds.
Kent’s team manager, Marie Atkinson-Brian, was pleased with the group’s performance.
‘Never Expected That’
She said: “This is a fantastic accomplishment.
“Since the event is so early in the season and many of our players have only been participating for three or four weeks, we really weren’t expecting this today.
“Everyone in every race exceeded their own and our own expectations of them, and we were clearly in the lead the entire time, which was something we simply never anticipated.
“It was absolutely amazing to maintain that and then complete the final relay.
“This is just an incredible accomplishment. I’ve been involved with Kent Swimming for about 35 years, first as a swimmer and now as team manager. And it comes from the diligent work that our coaches and swimmers do each and every day in Kent.
“This is Swim England’s most thrilling competition of the year. Because I didn’t get to swim this as a swimmer, I decided to become a team manager because I wanted to return and take part.
“We do everything we can to blend in with the environment. In an effort to fully embrace the atmosphere and enhance the experience, we have been purchasing fancy dress months in advance of the event.
“Swimmers will remember this particular environment for the rest of their lives, not just during their swimming careers, as it is a unique one.
“There is obviously a lot of competition between the teams, but in actuality it was fantastic. This is exactly what we needed post-Covid, just getting back in.
“It was really nice, and at the end, everyone just gave each other handshakes and said, “Well done.” That is fantastic.
“We won’t likely arrive at home until after midnight tonight. Our final stop is located at the very bottom of the nation. Consequently, even though the trip home will be long, it will be happy and pleasant.
“On the way back, there will be a lot of chanting, jubilation, and cheering.”
Division One Final Standings
- 1 Kent 469
- 2 Yorkshire 465
- 3 Northumberland & Durham 420
- 4 Devon 396
- 5 Surrey 391
- 6 Scotland East 390
- 7 Lancashire 385
- 8 Scotland West 368
- 9 Somerset 353
- 10 Essex 342
- 11 Middlesex 330
- 12 Berkshire & South Buckinghamshire 304
- 13 Worcestershire 296
- 14 South Wales 293
- 15 Nottinghamshire 260
- 16 Suffolk 230
- 17 South West Wales 222
- 18 Oxfordshire & North Buckinghamshire 203
- 19 Cambridgeshire 197
- 20 Leicestershire 195
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Source: https://www.swimming.org/sport/national-county-team-championships-2022-division-one/
