Yerbury were crowned borough champions for the second year running in the Islington Schools’ Swimming Gala at Ironmonger Row baths.

The Foxham Road school triumphed in both the boys’ and girls’ competitions, winning a total of nine events to ensure they retained the trophy, presented by deputy mayor Cllr Richard Greening.

Yerbury’s boys amassed 47 points – well clear of runners-up Thornhill (26) and Canonbury (21) – while the girls’ event was closer with Yerbury on 32, Hanover 24 and Canonbury 21.

Rocio Leyva-Thomas (22.93 seconds) gave Yerbury a winning start in the Year 5 girls’ front stroke, while Thornhill’s Avery Dietrich (23.90) took the honours in the boys’ race.

But Yerbury were back in the groove in the Year 6 events, with Isabella Hudson (22.24) winning the girls’ race and Ben Cohen (23.47) taking first place for the boys.

Hanover’s Ruby Cunningham-Ward (33.98) clinched victory in the Year 5 girls’ breaststroke, while Brandon Biss (31.50) racked up another win for Yerbury in the boys’ race.

In the Year 6 events, there were successes for Hanover’s Lauren Tucker (31.25) and Jack Wisker of Thornhill (30.19) in the girls’ and boys’ races.

Persephone Holloway (Gower) triumphed in the Year 5 girls’ backstroke with a time of 27.39, with Yerbury’s Matthias Alvarado-Schunemann (25.75) taking the honours in the boys’ event.

Alice Bayley chalked up another victory for Yerbury in the Year 6 girls’ backstroke (24.72), while Conrad Rayner of St John’s Highbury Vale won the boys’ race (26.25).

Yerbury almost swept the board in the 4x100m medley events, where the Year 5 girls (1:56.57) and boys (1:49.40) won their races – as did the Year 6 boys (1:51.37).

Canonbury broke their stranglehold in the Year 6 girls’ race (1:57.20), while Hanover achieved a double in the 4x100m mixed freestyle, taking the Year 5 race in 1:53.05 and the Year 6 race in 1:41.86.