A COACH hopes that Winsford Swim Team members will be inspired to return after making their debut at the British Summer Championships.

Seven of their eight representatives were racing at the highest level for the first time at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.

"I'm sure they'll want to work hard to go back," said Dan Goodwin.

"All of them can take away so many positives from the experience after giving it their all."

Jay Cushen led Winsford's challenge after making the cut in five individual disciplines.

And the 15-year-old from Whitegate ended on a high, reaching the 50m butterfly final for his age-group category after qualifying in 26.90s.

He improved on his return to the water later the same day, classifying fifth after stopping the clock in 26.90s.

Cushen had started a gruelling week by narrowly missing out on a personal best for the 400m freestyle.

It was a similar outcome in the 100m butterfly, for which he arrived in Yorkshire ranked 11th.

He continued to demonstrate his versatility by contesting the 200m individual medley on day five.

In between, he joined forces with Henry Oliver, Ethan Wright and Ethan Jones to contest the under 16s boys' 4x200m freestyle relay.

Together they took more than five seconds from their previous best to place 22nd overall.

The same quartet was back in action for the 4x100m freestyle the next day, and again improved on a qualifying marker laid during the regional championships.

They climbed the national rankings to 23rd after stopping the clock in a new best of 3:46.33.

Winsford also sent an over 17s girls' 4x200m freestyle relay team to Sheffield consisting of Millie Riddick, Domi Dean, Becky Howman and Georgia Williams.

Like the boys, they moved up the national rankings to 19th.

Winsford Swim Team's girl's relay team, from left, Domi Dean, Georgia Williams, Becky Howman and Millie Riddick after their impressive swim at the British Summer Championships

Goodwin said: "It was a first taste of the championships for all of them, and a great achievement to finish where they did.

"This event is only for the very best swimmers from across the British Isles, and to be invited you have to have made it inside the top 24 during the qualifying window.

"And that's not an easy thing to do."