SWIMMING: WYRE Forest got the new season off to a good start, coming second in the Leamington Spa Centenary Gala.

Always in contention for top spot, Wyre Forest achieved seven first places, 10 seconds and 10 thirds.

They finished with victory in a 16-person freestyle canon, while many swimmers achieved personal best times.

Final places: Leamington Spa 193, Wyre Forest 185, Walsall 176, Worcester 164, Stratford-upon-Avon 141, Bromsgrove 127.

Race winners, girls: Jodie Cook (11 years, 50 metres backstroke), Emma Levitt (13, 50m freestyle), Amy Smith (15, 100m freestyle and open, 100m backstroke); boys: Peter Macbeth (11, 25m butterfly), 11 medley relay (Paul Ingenthron, Chris Wildgust, Macbeth, Philip Harrison); all-age mixed cannon: (Cook, Ingenthron, Iskra Lawrence, Macbeth, Hannah Wear, Daniel Baylie, Levitt, Jonathon Baylie, Clair Wall, Stewart Reading, Smith, Adam Corgrave, Shelley Holden, Simon Kitchen, Donna Wilson, Jeremy Short).

Second places, girls: Hannah Terry (11, 50m freestyle), Lawrence (11, breaststroke), 11 medley relay (Patricia Webb, Lawrence, Cook, Terry), Wear (13, 50m breaststroke), 13 medley relay (Lauren Corbo, Wear, Gemma Hutchings, Levitt), Wilson (open, 100m freestyle); boys: Ingenthron (11, 50m backstroke), 11 freestyle relay (Harrison, Wildgust, Macbeth, Ingenthron), 13 medley and freestyle relays (Kevin Wall, Nick Carmichael, J and D Baylie).

Third places, girls: 11 freestyle relay (Cook, Webb, Lawrence, Terry), Hutchings (13, 50m butterfly), Corbo (13, backstroe), 13 freestyle relay (Corbo, Hutchings, Wear, Levitt), Holden (open, 100m butterfly); boys: Carmichael (13, 50m breaststroke), D Baylie (13, freestyle), 15 freestyle relay (Richard Carter, Reading, D Baylie, Cotgrave), Short (open, 100m breaststroke); mixed open freestyle relay (Holden, Wilson, Jack Crump, Kitchen).

A group from Wyre Forest took part in the Staffordshire Masters Open at Wolverhampton.

Out of 47 entries, Forest swimmers returned with two golds, seven silvers and 15 bronzes.

There were varying age groups with masters placed according to their age groups, ranging from A (25-29) to group J (70 and above).

In group F, Frank Clark won gold in the 50m breaststroke and backstroke, silver in the 100m individual medley and bronze in the 50m freestyle.

Group D saw Jane Atkinson take silver in the 25m breaststroke and 50m backstroke, plus bronze in the 25m backstroke, 50m butterfly and freestyle.

Dave Round claimed group C silver in the 25m and 50m backstroke and bronze in the 25m and 50m butterfly and freestyle.

In the 19-24 group, Jo Shaw took silver in the 50m butterfly, bronze in the 25m and 60m backstroke, the 100m individual medley and the 25m butterfly.

Lucy Walters gained bronze in the 25m and 50m breaststroke.

Jane Carmichael earned bronze in group E 25m and 50m breaststroke.

With high placings and personal bests were Hayley Ronan (19-24) and Martin Sloan (group D).

Godfrey Short joined the men's team for the medley and they took silver medal.

The women's relay team entered the medley and freestyle events, coming second in both.

But they could not claim their medals as they included swimmers too young to be masters.