BRAINTREE and Bocking Swimming club showed their presence at the Essex County Championships with many of their members qualifying for this year's even.

The first weekend was held at Basildon and Braintree were soon celebrating.

Darcy Coburn started with an amazing 25-second personal best (PB) in the the 800 metre freestyle and in the 400m freestyle, Daniel Parker claimed a silver medal and Hayden Miller was eighth.

Braintree also did well in the 100m events.

Parker was third and Charles Rennie fourth in the freestyle finals, while Grace Lambert was eighth, Parker fourth, Hayden Miller seventh and Samuel Rennie seventh in the backstroke finals.

Charles Rennie took fourth, Lee Peterson fifth and Marcie Aley third with a PB in the 100m breaststroke finals. Parker also finished second in the 100m butterfly final.

In the 200m events, Parker came third, Miller eighth and Samuel Rennie ninth in the backstroke, with Samuel Rennie second and Lambert eighth in the breaststroke.

A good weekend for Lambert also saw her taking sixth in the freestyle, while Sophie Clerkin was second, Charles Rennie seventh and Peterson eighth in the 200m individual medley.

The championships continued at the London Aquatic Centre and Braintree and Bocking kept on medalling.

The nine/ten years 200m relay team of Harmonie Fry-Oliff, Mia Macklin, Sophie Ball and Sophie O'Rorke took fourth place and there as a third place for the boys' team of Colin Okusaga, Finley Petts, Thomas Underdown and Max Headley.

Braintree's 200m freestyle teams also claimed silver medals in both the girls (Harmonie Fry-Oliff, Mia Macklin, Sophie Ball and Sophie O'Rorke) and boys' (Colin Okusaga, Finley Petts, Thomas Underdown and Max Headley) relays.

The 50m events showed just as much success in various age groups.

RESULTS: 50m freestyle: Sophie Clerkin 2nd, Nancy Neave 9th, Charles Rennie 6th, Daniel Parker 5th, Morgan Foster 9th; 50m backstroke: Sophie Clerkin 9th, Nancy Neave 9th, Daniel Parker 8th, Hayden Miller 9th, Charles Rennie 5th; 50m breaststroke: Marcie Aley 5th, Nancy Neave 10th, Samuel Rennie 3rd, Charles Rennie 2nd, Lee Peterson 5th; 50m butterfly: Daniel Parker 7th, Morgan Foster 9th, Nancy Neave 6th.

The event in London ended with Edmund Beaton swimming an amazing time and coming fifth in the 1,500m freestyle.

Back at Basildon for the final weekend and the Braintree swimmers finished on a high.

The 100m finals came from Lambert in eighth and Samuel Rennie third for breaststroke, Sophie Clerkin fifth, Nancy Neave seventh and Lambert eighth for freestyle, Charles Rennie fourth, Marcie Aley seventh and Fry-Oliff sixth for backstroke.

In the 200m events, Lambert was fourth, Fry-Oliff seventh and Aley eighth for backstroke, Morgan Foster sixth for butterfly, Parker fifth in the individual medley and Aley took third with a PB in the breaststroke

The 11/12 years relays saw Miller, Parker, Harry Edwards and Bart Tozer finish sixth in the men's 200m medley and there was a seventh place for the girls' team of Ellie C, Lily Bott, Clerkin and Darcy Coburn in the 200m freestyle.