PERSHORE Swimming Club added another trophy to their growing collection, winning the Worcester Winter League final in Droitwich.

Pershore found themselves up against local rivals Evesham, Warley Wasps, Haden Hill and Oldbury – and it was to prove a nail-biting affair between Pershore and Oldbury.

Pershore totalled 204 to take first place from Oldbury (198), with Haden Hill (146), Warley (127) and Evesham (118) further adrift.

Pershore showed they meant business with victory for the mixed 11 and under 6 x 25m medley team by 13 seconds. Jasmine Taite took second in the girls 15/u 100m freestyle in 1.05.98 while Tyler Mclean battled to third place in 1.01.31.

Naomi Marsden handed the team their second victory, taking the girls 13/u 100m backstroke in dominant form in 1.12.42. Simon Sweatman then blew the opposition away in boys’ event, setting a personal best time of 1.05.82 to beat his Oldbury rival.

Amy Cooper (13) showed no fear as she competed in the Open 100m butterfly and put in an incredible performance of 1.16.84 to claim second. Angus Jones swam hard in the men’s open, touching in 1.12.59.

Two more maximum points soon followed for Pershore, with Alexandra Barry winning the 50m freestyle in 30.65 and Kieran Cooper then storming to victory in 32.16.

The team’s mixed 15/u 6 x 25m medley team were edged into second by rivals Oldbury.

Megan Annis proved far too quick in the girls 13/u 100m fly, winning in 1.18.25, while Chris Vizard also proved too strong in the boys’ event, taking victory in 1.10.56.

Alex Dobell pushed hard for a good time of 1.17.88 in the Open 100m backstroke and Owen Leeks also worked hard for 1.10.77 – both claiming fourth spots.

Hannah Woodcock never looked troubled in the girls 11/u 50m backstroke, leading from the gun in 36.42, and Patrick Heeks was edged into second on the touch in 35.41.

Amy Cooper and Vizard were both soon back in action again, this time in the 15/u 100m fly, with Cooper taking second in 1.17.25 and Vizard going faster still for second in 1.09.66.

Isabella Woodcock’s first taste of action was in the girls 13/u 100m breaststroke, and took second place in 1.25.61. Will Gearey took victory from Oldbury in a closely fought race, touching for the win in 1.19.31.

Barry made it individual win number two, easily taking maximum points in the 11/u 50m fly in 34.20 and Heeks got the better of his Oldbury rival to win in 34.33.

Beth Carter battled hard for silver in the girls 15/u 100m breaststroke in 1.23.35, while Gearey swimming up an age group,was second in 1.19.07.

Taite, another to swim up several age groups, produced a gutsy display in the Open 100m freestyle to come second in 1.07.02. Pershore’s Harry Sykes, back from international duty in Spain for GB’s Modern Pentathlon team, went sub 60 seconds with 57.23 in the men’s event.

Annis produced her second victory with another easy win – this time in the girls’ 11/u 50m breaststroke with 40.30 and Hamish Cross also snatched a great win in the boys’ event in 41.71.

Marsden and Sweatman, both swimming up age groups in the 15/u 100m backstroke, produced excellent second places with 1.14.23 and 1.08.42 respectively.

Barry, swimming up, then completed an excellent day’s swimming, taking win number three in the girls’ 13/u 100m freestyle in 1.07.68, and Gearey achieved his second victory with a dominant performance in the boys’ event in 1.00.66.

Carter swam hard again but was edged into second in the Open 100m breaststroke with a 1.23.62, and Sykes came third in the men’s open in 1.14.72.

With the crowd reaching fever pitch, the mixed 11/u 6 x 25m freestyle team helped settle the supporters’ nerves with a stunning win from Evesham and Oldbury back in third.

The mixed 15/u 6 x 25m freestyle team secured second place, with Oldbury taking maximum points, while the mixed 13/u 6 x 25m relay team restored their lead again with another fantastic victory.

Despite Oldbury taking maximum points in the last event of the day, Pershore’s earlier efforts were enough to secure a remarkable victory in an exciting competition.

Pershore were rightly delighted to finish six points ahead of Oldbury and will be aiming to continue their excellent form.