HALESOWEN swimmers travelled to Nuneaton for the first round of the National League on Saturday, October 11.

The quality of competition in the premier division is high but Halesowen swimmers rose to the challenge from the very first event of the evening and, after the opening relays, were 10 points ahead and it was not until the halfway point that Leicester Sharks overturned the lead.

The swimmers battled hard and went into the final group of relays just three points from the lead, but despite a strong finish ended the night as runners-up by a single point.

Double individual event winners were Chloe Finch in the individual medley and freestyle, James Cuthbert in the breaststroke and butterfly, Mark Laing in the butterfly and freestyle, Jack Simpson in the backstroke and freestyle and Richard Spoor in the individual medley and breaststroke.

Other individual event winners were Emma Bird in the backstroke, Lily Merrell in the breaststroke and Kate Morrice and Josh Bradley in the freestyle.

The relay teams put on a fine show with both the girls and boys age 13 teams winning medley and freestyle events including India Hanke, Amber Harrison, Owen Crump, Robert Jennings and James Perry.

The age 15 and under boys including Jakob Baker, Tristan Bland and George Davies won the freestyle event and the men's open team also pulled off the double with team members including Zach Collins, Jacob Darby and Michael Edmonds.

In all, the team won 21 of the 50 events to begin their 2014 campaign in fine style.