SWIMMING: A below-strength Wyre Forest squad swam to fourth place in the Mercian League final on Saturday at Tamworth after a fifth-placed league finish.

Forest have a record number of Midland district qualified swimmers this season and they were unable to compete under league rules.

The club had to put many youngsters in a higher age group as a result but managed six race winners, 11 seconds places and 12 thirds.

The races were over 50 metres for the youngest and 100m for the others with 25m butterfly contests for the 10-year-olds.

Final points: Nuneaton & Bedworth 199, Broadway 187, Solihull 183, Wyre Forest 181, Haden Hill 147, Brierley Hill 146.

Race winners, boys: Jack Dyer (10 years, 50m backstroke), Robert Smith (10, freestyle and breaststroke), Nick Carmichael (14, 100m breaststroke), Matt Winmill (open 100m freestyle), open Medley relay (Simon Kitchen, Jeremy Short, Richard Carter, Winmill).

Second places, girls: Natalie Blakemore (12, 100m breaststroke and freestyle), Lauren Corbo (14, 100m backstroke), Zoe Perry (13, freestyle), 13 medley relay (Corbo, Blakemore, Zoe Chamberlain, Perry), Rebekah Lane (open, 100m breaststroke), open freestyle relay (Tracey Billingham, Lane, Sian Griffiths and Emma Cashmore).

Boys: 10 medley and freestyle relays (Dyer, Liam Garbett, Ryan Wilcox, Smith), Jeremy Short (open individual medley), open freestyle relay (Carter, Short, Kitchen, Winmill).

Third places, girls: Jessica Smith (10, 50m backstroke and 25m butterfly), 12 freestyle relay (J Smith, Blakemore, Melissa Wildgust, Caroline Park), 14 freestyle relay (Corbo, Chamberlain, Park, Perry), S Griffiths (open 100m backstroke), Tracey Billingham (open freestyle).

Boys: Dyer (10, 25m butterfly), Ben Turton (14, 100m backstroke), Carmichael (14 butterfly), 14 freestyle relay (Turton, Carmichael, Oliver Wilkie, R Smith), Kitchen (open, 100m backstroke), Short (open breaststroke).