Strong Progress for Monson

RTW Monson competed in round two of the National Arena League against some of the favourites for the national title on Saturday 10^th November. The gala took place in Maidenhead and included two teams that qualified for the national finals earlier in the year.

Seeded to obtain fourth place on the night, Monson swimmers showed their recent progress with a very strong third position. With several international swimmers competing, Monson showed their stars of the future with wins coming from Jemimah Berkeley, Anna Leman, Teilo Williams, Alice Dobson and ten-year-old Aran Bissett.

Aran's time of 28.8 was the first time any ten-year-old boy had broken the 29 second barrier in the 50m Freestyle. He led the 11 and under Freestyle relay to an inspired win, with the team improving seven seconds from round one.

Speaking about the overall performance Head Coach Graham Bassi said, "Last year we just avoided relegation, this year we will finish in the top half of the table. This team has all the potential to challenge in the future for a place at the national finals involving the best teams in the country. We are pleased with our progress and know the work that has to be done in the future. The atmosphere in the club is extremely high and we are all excited about the journey ahead."

Following on from Monson's success at the Winter Regionals, Jemimah Berkeley and Anna Leman have been selected to represent the South East at the Flanders Cup being held in Antwerp in January 2019.