Market Drayton Swimming Club makes a record splash at the regional championships

Market Drayton Swimming Club describes itself as a small programme, but its results this year have been anything but small. Sixteen of its swimmers qualified in 89 events for the West Midlands Summer Championships, held over five days at Sandwell Aquatics Centre. It was a club record, up from 12 swimmers and 55 events in 2025.

Across the competition the team swam 71 events, with 40 races finishing inside the top ten. They brought home nine medals: one gold, two silver and six bronze. Every swimmer had qualified by achieving times at earlier galas.

"Our swimmers displayed high class in their attitude, technical ability and race speed," said head coach Luke Harris. "We run a small programme, and taking 16 swimmers to the competition and delivering an excellent set of performances highlights the talent our programme has to offer."

"They produced a fantastic set of results credited to their hard work, and the dedication of the support network around them," he added.

Two swimmers then went further. Ava Highfield, 14, qualified for both the British and English national championships, and Paige Simpson, 15, qualified for the English nationals, competing in July at Ponds Forge International Centre in Sheffield among the best swimmers of their age in the country.

The club has been building for some time. At the 2025 regional championships its then-record 12 swimmers won four medals and 21 top-eight finishes, with Connor Simpson crowned regional champion in the 50m breaststroke and Paige Simpson winning gold in the 1,500m freestyle. That autumn the club also sought sponsorship to help coaches and team managers join swimmers at a training camp in Spain, in an outdoor 50m pool.

The club is now fundraising for six new competitive diving blocks, as the current ones have been in use since the early 1990s. Local businesses interested in helping are invited to get in touch.

New members are welcome from ASA Stage 7 onwards. The club offers an initial assessment followed by three free trial sessions.

To arrange a trial or support the diving blocks appeal, contact the club secretary at mdscsecretary@hotmail.com.