MEMBERS of Northallerton swimming club are once again “levelling up” for an exciting competition which sees them pit themselves against others from across the country, without leaving their club.

With swimming galas suspended during the pandemic, “Level X” racing has been designed by Swim England to boost competition. Swimmers can take part in time-trials during normal training sessions and then submit their times to Swim England rankings to see how they compare to others across their age group nationally.

After pilot schemes across the UK in September, Northallerton Amateur Swimming Club was quick off the mark to create its own time trial events which began in October, only to have to press pause when pools closed again during the second lockdown.

But, since Northallerton leisure centre reopened on December 2, training has begun in earnest, with some sessions once again becoming “Level X” time trial events.

The small club is already punching above its weight, with two of its swimmers ranked in the top ten nationally for their age group for 50 metres freestyle.

To support the competition even more the club has, for the first time, created four different teams across the membership and is encouraging youngsters to race hard to win points for their squad. Each member of the Barracudas, Hammerheads, Stingrays and Piranhas can win five points for their team by taking part in a time trial and one point for every 0.1 seconds progress made from their existing baseline times. Competition is fierce amongst the teams and the lead has changed hands several times already.

The club has even produced new swimming caps to really encourage team spirit, thanks to support from local sponsors Barkers Northallerton and Andrew Bramley Associates.

Head Coach Greg Ient said: “Normally our most of our swimmers would be taking part in galas every four to six weeks and sometimes more, so not being able to hold them during the pandemic has meant it’s felt hard to measure progress and keep members motivated. Level X racing is a game changer and the introduction of the club teams has really galvanised our swimmers and brought a new sense of focus and team spirit. For such a small club, I’m so proud of how well we are performing in the rankings. We’re really grateful to Barkers Northallerton and Andrew Bramley Associates for supporting the young people in this town."

The club currently is currently recruiting for new members, from swimming stage five and above. Training takes place at Northallerton Leisure Centre throughout the week and potential members benefit from three free taster sessions to see if they enjoy it. Anyone interested should email nasc@nasc.co.uk.