Helensburgh Amateur Swimming Club’s young competitors did themselves proud at the Scottish Schools Argyll and Bute trials at their home pool.

Primary and secondary schools right across the region attended bringing their best swimmers to Helensburgh for the event, and the local club’s swimmers secured a fantastic total of 22 medals – five gold, eight silver and nine bronze.

Fifty-nine personal best times were achieved with 11 swimmers achieving personal bests (PBs) in all of the events entered.

Gold medals were won by three swimmers – Michael Payne, swimming in the age 15-16 category, secured a gold medal and a personal best time in both the 100m and 200m backstroke, while Monty Jamieson, in the age 17 category, won gold in the 200m freestyle.

READ MORE: Burgh's young swimmers bring back 16 medals from Rutherglen event

The gold haul was completed by Alex Johnson in the age 18 category, who won gold and recorded a new personal best time in both the 100m and 200m butterfly.

Among the four silver medal winners were Owen Lyell, swimming in the age 12 and under age category, who recorded three PBs on his way to four silver medals in the 50m freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, and Ethan Parsons in the 13-14 age group, who came second, thanks to new PBs, in both the 100m and 200m backstroke.

Thomas Forsyth, swimming in the age 15-16 category, secured a silver medal and a personal best time in the 200m backstroke, while in the same age group section Tamas Mihaly won silver thanks to a new PB in the 200m freestyle – and added to his haul with a bronze and new PB in the 100m backstroke.

Seven Helensburgh swimmers finished the day with bronze medals around their necks, with Fergus McEwan taking two third place finishes in the 12 and under category, in the 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke, and Lance McMahon recorded a new personal best to take third in the 50m backstroke in the same age group.

READ MORE: Helensburgh and Lomond youngsters bid for places in Scottish schools swimming finals

In the 13-14 age group, Lilly Boultby, Zoe McEwan and Darragh Gettings each won a bronze – Lilly in the 100m backstroke, Zoe in the 200m breaststroke and Darragh in the 100m backstroke.

Rachel Stewart and Olivia Drew, both swimming in the age 15-16 category, also secured a bronze medal each, Rachel in the 100m breaststroke and Olivia in the 200m breaststroke.

Many swimmers were competing at the younger end of wide age bands, and swimmers who didn’t win a medal but performed exceptionally well on the day, securing PBs in all or all but one of their events were Iona McGarry Isabella Brown, Olivia Kershaw-Yates, Abey Hennessey, Beth McKenzie, Della Smith, Jodie Morrison, Noah Watson and Edward Peace.

All swimmers will find out soon if they have qualified for the Scottish Schools national finals, to be held early in 2020.

If you are interested in joining the swimming club, visit the ‘contact us’ page at helensburghasc.co.uk.

READ MORE: Catch up with all the latest sports news from Helensburgh and Lomond here