SKIPTON Swimming Club started the Aire and Wharfdale Gala Series with a great turnout of swimmers at Shipley Swimming Pool.

Gala 1 was held at Shipley Pool and is the first of five galas to be held over the coming months.

With a full range of events from nine years to 15+ and the open events, Skipton was well represented over the age groups and showed great strength in the team events.

The mixed 15 and overs freestyle team got the gala off to a fine start, taking gold, as club captains Ned Sharp and Paige Fenton swam alongside Archie Dunne and Madison Turner.

The 11/12 girls were fast off the blocks in the medley team with an Arrows and Bullets team. Both teams made it through to the finals.

Unfortunately, due to confusion the Bullets team of Isobel Palmer, Hannah Bamford, Evie Eccles and Jodie Midgley did not swim in the final.

The Arrows team took first place with Poppy Dunne on backstroke, followed by Fennella Turner on breaststroke, Amelia Redfearn on butterfly and Lily Long-Prior bringing the team home on freestyle.

The boys 11/12 team of Joe Greening, Joe Burgess, Harry Cockburn and Rowan Box won the first place trophy and the ladies open team of Fenton, Isabel Redfearn, Maisie Dunne and Madison Turner took first place in the 4x100 freestyle.

Sharp, alongside Archie Minto, Zeb Heyes and Archie Dunne, were in the men’s open freestyle team who swam home to victory.

In the boys 15 and over 4L freestyle, Skipton had four entries, all who made it through to the final, with Sharp taking gold, followed by Minto with silver and Archie Dunne with bronze.

In the girls 15 and over 4L freestyle, Isabel Redfearn, Maisie Dunne and Turner swam in the 15 and over 100m freestyle. Dunne and Turner made it through to the final with Turner taking first place and Dunner taking third.

In the boys 9/10 years 2L backstroke, Harris Thompson and Stanley Dunne flew the Skipton flag and swam straight into the final. It was a close battle with Thompson coming out on top and bringing home the gold with Stanley Dunne a very close second.

In the girls 9/10 years 2L backstroke, Aimee Lawn and Rita Box had great swims in the girls 50m backstroke. Box made it through to the finals, where she finished third.

In the boys 11/12 2L breaststroke, Lewis Ayre, Harry Forrest, Joe Burgess, Archie Appleby, Harry Cockburn, Joe Greening and Rowan Box all had entries in the boys 50m breaststroke. Greening, Cockburn and Box all made it through to the final, where Box came first Cockburn second.

In the girls 11/12 2L breaststroke, Amelia Redfearn, Hannah Bamford, Isobel Palmer, Lily Long-Prior, Jodie Midgley, Evie Eccles, Bryony Jackson, Emma Lawn, Fennella Turner and Poppy Dunne had great swims in the girls 50m breaststroke. Poppy and Fennella picked up silver and bronze, respectively.

Sharp and Madison Turner also won the men's and ladies' open events.