PONDS FORGE, SHEFFIELD - 5TH & 6TH JUNE 2010

The opening weekend of the NER Age Group Championships at the Ponds Forge Centre, Sheffield, saw the City of Sunderland ASC team bag an impressive haul of eight gold, three silver and two bronze medals, to finish the weekend second in the medals table to a strong City of Leeds team.

Leading the way with a hat trick of gold was 13 year old Adam Taylor, starting his weekend’s work by winning the 1500m freestyle by a 23 second margin in a time of 17.41.67. He followed this up by winning the 100m backstroke in 1.03.18 – another impressive time which was faster than the winner in the 14 year old age group. Adam then went on to complete his haul with a commanding margin of over two and half seconds in the 200m freestyle, coming home in 2.06.22.

Not to be outdone, Adam’s younger sister Laura Taylor also took gold in the 11year old 800m freestyle, leading her heat from the start, to finish in 10.17.86 - smashing her personal best time by over forty seconds. Team mate Jessica Thompson took the bronze medal in the same event, adding to an excellent all round display in the final of the 400m Individual Medley where she took gold in 5.41.64 - beating her personal best time by four seconds.  Laura later narrowly missed out on a further medal when she took fourth place in the 200m freestyle final.

In the 12 year old age group 400m Individual Medley, Lucy Walton swept home in 5.26.84 to take gold over six seconds ahead of second placed Ellie Hawke from Stockton. Lucy also took silver in the 800m freestyle and bagged a bronze in the 200m freestyle, then narrowly missed out on a medal in a thrilling 200m butterfly final finishing fourth in a new personal best time. In the same final Isabella Bosanko was involved in a thrilling duel with the pre race favourite Rebekah Birrell from Leeds, eventually losing out on the touch by 0.16 of a second to take silver. Isabella also took fourth in the 400m Individual Medley and fifth in the 800m freestyle. Lucy also took fifth place in the 100m backstroke event.

In the 10 year old age group Jodi Bunker took double gold by winning the 400m Individual Medley and the 200m butterfly. She also took fourth place in the 200m freestyle and sixth in the 100m breaststroke event.

In the 13 year old 200m butterfly final Emma Sinclair came through from an unfancied outside lane to take the silver medal in a personal best time. Emma also took fourth place in the 400m Individual Medley final, with team mate Lucy Ellis finishing eighth.

Thirteen year old Adam Charlton narrowly missed taking a medal, with two fourth place finishes in the 400m Individual Medley and the 200m butterfly - where he still achieved a national age group qualifying time.

The club was also represented by a number of other swimmers who performed well to achieve a number of personal and season best times: James Burns, Thomas Burns, Jordan Henry, Joseph Pomfret, Lauren Patterson, Beth Nicholson, Adam Jurgens and Sarah Morris.

The City of Sunderland ASC attracted a strong field of 38 teams from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Dubai, to the recent 2nd Long Course Gala, at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre, where the home team took an impressive haul of 40 medals.

Kathryn Woolston-Thomas (15) opened Sunderland's account with gold in the 200 individual medley in a time of 2.25.49, with team mate Alexandra Robinson finishing closely behind to take silver. The two girls then went on to have a very successful weekend, taking a further nine medals between them. Kathryn took two more gold medals in the 100 and 200 freestyle, with silver in the 50m freestyle and butterfly and bronze medals in the 100 and 200 butterfly events. Alexandra won another silver medal in the 200 breast stroke and bronze in the 50 breaststroke and 400 freestyle events.

Striking gold for the boys were double gold medallist Adam Taylor (13) who topped the podium in the 50m freestyle in 27.31 and 50m backstroke in 29.38, while seventeen year old Jonathan Carlisle took gold in the 100m backstroke and was just touched into second place by 0.22 of a second by Craig McNally of Warrender Baths, in the 50m backstroke.

Twelve year old Lucy Walton was another double gold medallist for the team, this time in the 200 backstroke and 200 freestyle events, recording respective times of 2.32.64 and 2.17.14. Emma Sinclair (13) won the 400 individual medley gold in a time of 5.21.25 and a silver medal in the 200 butterfly, while eleven year old Laura Taylor took gold in the 50m freestyle in 31.42.

In the 11 year olds 200m butterfly, Abigail Proctor of the City of Aberdeen took the gold medal narrowly ahead of Sunderland girls Jessica Thompson (silver) and ten year old Jodi Bunker (bronze). Jessica Thompson also went on to take a bronze medal in the 200 backstroke event. Isabella Bosanko (12) took three silver medals in the 100 butterfly, 400 individual medley and 400 freestyle, while seventeen year old Laura Dawson won a further silver for the team in the 50 butterfly with a time of 30.03.

Double silver medallist in the 50 butterfly and 100 freestyle, Daniel Heeley, also took bronze in the 50 freestyle, while thirteen year old Adam Charlton also took two silver medals in the 100 butterfly in 1.07.44 and 400 individual medley in 5.12.51. In the 50m breaststroke sixteen year old Mathew Snowdon took a further silver medal for the team in a time of 33.69, just missing out on the gold to Mark Tully (18) of East Lothian.

The Sunderland swimmers also won a host of bronze medals - Jay Whitehead (11) in the 50m backstroke, Thomas Burns (11) 400 freestyle, Andie Hinitt (14) 100 breast stroke, Joe Middleton (15) 50 backstroke, Mathew Bell (16) 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley and Lucy Gordon (17) 50 butterfly.