FOUR Vale swimmers shone at a major level one long course open meet in Sheffield.

Chloe Golding, Tazmin Pugh, Harry Bamforth and Tyler McLean impressed at the event organised by Derbyshire’s Derventio Excel.

They helped Ellesmere College Titans return with 93 medals against 44 other clubs, winning the meeting with 606 points.

Titans will compete in April’s National ‘B’ Arena League Final in Cardiff.

In the boys’ 1,500-metre freestyle, Bamforth just missed out on a new personal best and McLean, also 13, produced a gutsy display after an injury and illnessprone season. The girls’ 800m event saw Pugh, 13, win gold with a national qualifying time (NQT) of nine minutes 20.35 seconds, climbing to fifth in the endof- year United Kingdom rankings.

Pugh also claimed 200m freestyle gold with another NQT of 2.10.21 for sixth in the UK.

Golding, 15, who will continue on the England development programme at a three-day camp in Liverpool, set her own long-course pb.

Bamforth and McLean did well in the 200m individual medley with the former recording a new pb before both set them in the 100m backstroke.

McLean won 50m breaststroke gold in 34.13 and bronze in the 200m breaststroke in 2.44.65, climbing to 16th in the UK rankings.

Pugh was fourth in the 200m backstroke but bagged golds in the 400m individual medley, 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle.

Golding set pbs with gold in the 200m backstroke in 2.17.45 followed by good performances in the 400m individual medley and 400m and 100m freestyle.

The girls’ 200m individual medley saw Pugh grab gold in a new long-course pb of 2.26.80, ending the year seventh in the UK rankings.

Golding took bronze in the 15 and over age group in 2.24.65.

In the boys’ 200m freestyle, McLean set a new pb and then tackled the 200m backstroke, 400m individual medley and 200m butterfly before a 100m breaststroke silver in 1.15.49 for 13th in the UK.

McLean again set a pb in the 400m freestyle and the 100m backstroke produced bronze for Pugh and silver for Golding.

Then Pugh won her seventh gold in the 100m butterfly, recording 1.06.94, with Golding fourth in her category.

Pugh was fourth best 13- year-old girl and has made seven events at August’s National Age Group Championships.

Golding has five NQTs in the 15 to 16 group in the 100m butterfly, 100m and 200m backstroke and 200m and 400m individual medley.

She heads to April’s Commonwealth Trials and British Senior Championships in Glasgow.