Derwentside ASC Graded Meet.

A strong team of 9 to 12 year old City of Sunderland ASC swimmers attended the Louisa Centre, Stanley, for the Derwentside ASC Graded Meet, and returned home with an impressive haul of 94 medals.

Performance of the day was from Shannon Costello (14), who won seven gold medals, recording the fastest overall time of the day in the 200m breaststroke (3.02.49) and 100m backstroke (1.11.70). As well as also topping the podium in the 100m butterfly, 100 and 200m freestyle, 100 and 200m individual medley events, Shannon took silver in the 100m breaststroke – edged out of the gold medal spot by Rebecca Stoddart of Derwentside by just 0.05 of a second.

For the boys, Mathew Walker – Smith, took five gold in the 100m individual medley, 50 and 200m freestyle and 50 and 200m breaststroke, as well as silver in the 50m backstroke and bronze in the 50m butterfly. Fellow nine year olds Callum Dann and Ben Hutchinson also made useful contributions with a medal each – Callum taking the 50m backstroke gold and Ben taking the 50m breaststroke silver.

The eleven year old girl trio of Lauren Patterson, Gabrielle Burdess and Hannah Costello, dominated the events in their class, taking a total of 13 medals between them. Lauren grabbed four gold medals; at 100m in the butterfly and individual medley and at 200m in the breaststroke and individual medley. She also took three silver in the 100m backstroke and breaststroke and the 200m backstroke events. Gabrielle took gold in the 100 and 200m backstroke as well as bronze in the 200m freestyle, while Hannah won gold in the 200m butterfly, silver in the 200m breaststroke and bronze in the 200m individual medley.

 Jack Tallentire also chipped in with seven medals, gold at 200m in the butterfly and individual medley, silver in the 100m butterfly and at 200m in the backstroke and freestyle with bronze medals in the 100m freestyle and backstroke events. Fellow twelve year olds Kristian Donaldson and Gerald McCullough bagged a further seven medals between them. Kristian won gold in the 200m freestyle, silver in the 200m butterfly and bronze in the 100m breaststroke and butterfly and 200m breaststroke, while Gerald took the 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley silver medals.

The nine year old female representatives also had a successful weekend with Eve Larsen topping the podium in the 50m breaststroke, and freestyle, 100m individual medley and 200m breaststroke, with silver in the 50m backstroke and bronze in the 50m butterfly. Amelia Bateman took gold in the 50m butterfly, silver in the 50m breaststroke and 200m backstroke with bronze in the 200m freestyle and 100 individual medley events. Bethany Emmerson won the 200 butterfly gold and 200 individual medley bronze, with Jazmine Moss taking the 200m breaststroke silver medal.

Ashlyn Liddle won the twelve year old 200m butterfly event in 3.02.04 - the fastest time of the day - adding to her first place finish in the 100m butterfly, three silvers in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and 100 individual medley and a 200 individual medley bronze. Fellow twelve year olds Christina Castledine won the 200 backstroke silver, Rachel Robinson 200 butterfly silver and Abigail Louise Carlisle took third place in the 100m freestyle event.  Thirteen year old Beth Newport won two gold backstroke medals in the 100 and 200m distances, with three bronze medals in the 100 and 200 individual medley and 100m freestyle events. Team mate Annabelle Joyce took three 200m silver medals in the breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley and bronze in the 200 freestyle.

Fourteen year old Peter Davison bagged seven medals, the 100 freestyle gold, the 200 individual medley and butterfly silvers and the 100 butterfly and individual medley, 200 breaststroke and freestyle bronze medals, while eleven year old Ryan Brewster took first place in the 100 breaststroke and individual medley and a bronze in the 100 backstroke. Thirteen year old Joshua Campbell won silver medals in the 100 individual medley and the 100 and 200m butterfly events with a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle. Mark Robinson grabbed the 100 breaststroke silver and ten year old Niall Morris took silver in the 200 freestyle with two bronze medals in the 100m freestyle and backstroke events.

Eleven other swimmers competed for Sunderland ASC – William Robinson, Harry Walker, Melissa Price, Leah Hutchinson, Emily Turnbull, Jennifer Sharp, Freya Rayner, Heather Tinn, Natalya Sharp, Lauren Clark and Stevie Leigh Robbins – with many achieving personal and season best times.

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.