Derwentside Developmental Meet 2015 – Gala Report

Winning a hat trick of medals each, Caitlin Cambrook, 11 and J.J. Robins, 13, were in fine form at the Derwentside Meet.   Leading the medal tally for the club, Caitlin and J.J. were just two of 27 swimmers representing City of Sunderland at the Louisa Centre, Stanley.   Lara Greggs, 12 and Ayumi Faulds and Elyssa Palmer, both 9, also made the podium with a medal each and with the rest of the team achieving many top 10 finishes and setting new personal best (PB) times it was a successful competition for Sunderland’s swimmers.

Caitlin finished second in the 200m backstroke finishing in 2:55.06, a 6 second PB and second in the 50m butterfly.  Improving her time by exactly 1 second in the 50m freestyle, Caitlin took home a bronze medal with a time of 32.81 seconds and narrowly missed out on a medal in the 200m I/M finishing 4^th.

With his best result coming in the 200m breaststroke event where he won a silver medal, J.J. also set a new PB time of 3:02.56.  He won two bronze medals in the 50m breaststroke and 100m backstroke events and finished 4^th and 5^th and 7^th in the 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke events respectively setting five new PBS.

Lara finished the meet with a silver medal winning performance in the 200m I/M and gained top 10 places in the 50m freestyle, 100m breaststroke and 50m butterfly, finishing 5^th, 8^th and 9^th respectively all with new PBs.

Ayumi and Elyssa both won a bronze medal.  Ayumi won hers in the 50m butterfly and finished 4^th in the 200m backstroke, 100m I/M and 50m freestyle events.  Elyssa was third in the 50m freestyle setting a new PB and finished 6^th, 7^th and 8^th respectively in the 200m backstroke, 100m I/M and 50m butterfly, recording improved times in all events.

Making his debut for the club was Luke McGee, 9.  He got off to a good start in competition, with a 5^th place in the 50m backstroke and a 7^th place in the 50m breaststroke events.

Securing top 10 finishes were: nine year olds Yuki Faulds (5^th 200m backstroke and 50m butterfly and 9^th 100m I/M), Lucy Matterson (5^th in 50m butterfly and 100m I/M, 8^th 50m freestyle), Jessica Ord (10^th 50m freestyle), Arran Robinson (8^th 50m breaststroke, 9^th 50m backstroke), ten year olds Lorenzo Corsi (8^th 200m freestyle), Fran Procter (9^th 100m freestyle) and Layla Trueman (8^th 200m backstroke, 9^th 50m butterfly), eleven year olds Grace Abbott (4^th 100m breaststroke, 5^th 200m backstroke, 8^th 50m butterfly) , Joshua Convery (6^th 200m breaststroke, 9^th 200m freestyle), Emma Corbett-Skedd (6^th 200m backstroke)and Madeleine Smith (6^th 100m breaststroke, 200m I/M and 50m butterfly, 7^th 50m freestyle), twelve year old Vanessa Rubio (8^th 50m freestyle, 10^th 200m I/M) and thirteen year old  Maria Birchall (7^th 50m freestyle and 9^th 50m butterfly).

Each achieving new PBs were:  nine year olds Tilly Abbott and Heather Robinson, ten year old Ella Harrison, twelve year olds Alicia Barnes, Isaac Barnett, Molly Joyce and Rhianna Ibbitson and thirteen year old Millie Harrison.

It was encouraging to see a large squad of the club’s younger swimmers taking part in the gala and with all of them recording improved times it was a positive meet for all.