TWENTY-seven Worcester swimmers travelled to Wolverhampton for the Worcestershire development meet.

The event gave competitors aged 13 and under a chance to test out their skills against others from the county.

Many of the Worcester swimmers were novices in their first open meet but they racked up personal bests and medals.

The younger boys led the way with debutant Milo Reed winning the nine and under 50-metre freestyle in 41.87 seconds and securing bronze in the 50m backstroke.

The 10-year-olds were in inspired form too and Max Rice won the 50m freestyle in 34.27 by just 0.03 seconds from club-mate Daniel Day.

Rice also won the 50m breaststroke, while Day claimed gold in the 100m individual medley and silver in the 50m backstroke.

In the 12 years age group, Josh Bennett bagged a brace of bronzes in the butterfly and freestyle events.

Worcester’s Sam Clayton dominated the 13 years section with four golds and one silver.

Clayton sealed victory in the prestigious skins final, a series of seven elimination races. For the girls, the highlight came in the 13 years 50m breaststroke where Worcester dominated the top three.

Freya Lines grabbed gold fractionally ahead of Ellie McGinnes and Eleanor Niel.

Lines won another two medals, including gold in the 50m butterfly, and Niel three, which featured a gold in the 50m backstroke.

Other girls to take home gold medals included Nemi Edwards and Imogen Rhodes in the 12 and under and 11 and under 50m butterfly respectively.

Rhodes also bagged silver in the 100m individual medley and bronze in the 50m backstroke.

Megan Bury claimed silver in the 10 and under 50m backstroke and Lydia Cooper silver in the nine and under 50m freestyle.

There were many personal bests, including from Lottie Bond, Alice Lloyd, Natasha Dobson, Hannah Dixon, Ellie Reed, Jenny Latta, Megan Williams, Lizzie Rhoden, Becky Yates, Abigail Moore, Thea O’Kane, Izzy Trow, Kate Sudworth and Ben Thorpe.