Horwich Leisure Centre Swimming Club have reached the National Finals of the Speedo Swimming League and will compete with the best 16 teams in the country when they represent the North West of England at Ponds Forge International Pool in Sheffield in April.

In the North West Premiership 'A' Final held at the Manchester Aquatic Centre earlier this month, the Horwich team, making their third appearance in the 'A' final in three years, stunned the much bigger squads from other parts of the region by coming a well deserved third place overall and taking the Chairman's Trophy for team spirit for the second consecutive year.

Their performance ensured automatic qualification, along with the giant 'squad' teams from City of Salford and City of Liverpool, for the National

Finals. Other larger teams such as Newcastle and City of Chester were left trailing in Horwich's wake as the team grabbed third place at an early stage

in the gala and held onto it throughout with outstanding swims in individual and relay events in all age groups.

"The team consists of girls and boys in four different age groups - 11 andunder,13 and under, 15 and under and 'open' age", explained a Club spokesman, "and they all contributed to a wonderful team performance. It was great to see them all supporting each other and they thoroughly deserve

their place in the National Finals. Our club motto is 'fitter, stronger, faster, better' and they certainly lived up to it on what was a wonderful day for Horwich Leisure Centre ASC."

FINALISTS: Team captains Ben Johnson, Nathan Dutton, Corinne Allmark and Louise Allmark proudly display the Horwich shield