This was Sunderland’s last Level 1 home gala of the season and it provided the very last opportunity for swimmers to gain British Swimming ranking times for qualification for the British Swimming Summer Championships and the ASA National Swimming Championships both of which include para-swimming events. For many swimmers the pressure was on as their current ranking times placed them just outside or just inside the British top 24 (or 18 for the distance events) in their age group and with other galas taking place throughout Britain over the same weekend few could afford to be complacent!
Sunderland entered 31 swimmers from the Performance and Age Group Development Squads and all rose to the occasion recording more than 70 personal best times (PBs) and setting six meet ‘All Comers’ records. Adam Taylor won the ‘Best Boy’ trophy in the 15 and over age group while Josef Craig won the ‘Best Para Boy’ trophy.  Impressively, the club is sending a squad of 15 swimmers, including three para-swimmers, to the British Summer Championships, ASA National Swimming Championships and the ASA Open Water Championships in July and August this year.
Amy Henshaw, 15, set the bench mark for the club’s swimmers – producing a massive PB of more than 10 seconds in the 800m freestyle where she finished in second place to Lucy Ellis, 18. Amy’s time of 9:08.67 moved her safely into the British top 10 in her age group and was also inside the ASA Open Water Championship qualifying time. Lucy has also qualified for both events and will also compete in the 400m freestyle and the 200m and 400m I/M events.
Anya Sordy, 15, also had a good swim in the 800m freestyle reducing her PB by 2 seconds and finishing 4th. Anya will be competing in the 200m butterfly at the British Swimming Summer Championships.
Zak Logue, 16, Adam Boxall, 14 and J.J. Robins, 13, all had excellent swims in the 1500m freestyle. Zak finished in 3rd place in a time of 16:26.90 and will be swimming the 1500m freestyle and 400m I/M at the British Summer Championships and with a new PB of 2:11.20 in the 200m butterfly qualified for the ASA National Swimming Championships 200m butterfly where he will also swim the 200m I/M. He set a new PB in the heats and finals of the 100m butterfly, finishing 5th in both.
Adam set a new PB of 18:37.09 in the 1500m freestyle, taking more than a minute off his time and finishing 3rd. He also set new PBs in the 400m freestyle, 200 I/M, 50m and 100m freestyle events.  J.J. had a great meet, setting new PBs in all 8 of his events and gaining top 10 finishes in the 400m and 1500m freestyle, 200m breaststroke and 400m I/M.
Adam Taylor, 18, finished 1st in the finals of the 50m and 100m backstroke, 50m and  100m butterfly, was 1st in the 200m backstroke and finished 3rd in the 100m freestyle final.  His time of 25.14 in the heat of the 50m butterfly was an All Comers record. Adam will be swimming in the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke and the 50m and 100m butterfly at the British Summer Championships and in the 100m freestyle at the ASA National swimming Championships.
Setting All Comers records in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke events, Rachel Taylor, 15, also claimed the club’s 50m breaststroke record in her age group and set a new All Time Club record with her time of 34.15. Rachel finished 3rd in the finals of the 50m and 100m breaststroke and was first in the 200m I/M and 200m breaststroke and will be representing the club at the British Summer Championships in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke and in the 400 I/M and will be swimming the 200 I/M at the ASA National Swimming Championships.
Freya Rayner, 16, broke the All Comers record in the heat of the 50m backstroke with a time of 30.48 before breaking it again in the final with a time of 30.16 which also secured her first place. Another All Comers record fell in the final of the 50m butterfly where Freya finished 1st with a time of 28.36 and this was also a new club record. Freya finished 2nd in the 50m freestyle final and was 3rd in the 100m backstroke final and will be swimming the 50m freestyle, 50m and 100m backstroke and the 50m butterfly at the British Summer Championships and in the 100m freestyle and butterfly  at the ASA National Swimming Championships.
Mason Jaques, 16, finished 3rd in the final of the 50m backstroke with a new PB of 27.93 qualifying him for the British Summer Championships. He finished 3rd in the 200m freestyle with a PB of 1:58.81, was 5th in the 50m freestyle final with a PB of 25.00 and was 3rd and 4th in the 100m backstroke final and butterfly finals respectively.   Mason qualified for the ASA National Swimming Championships to swim the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle, the 100m backstroke and 50m and 100m butterfly events.
Fifteen year old Jodi Bunker, swam two excellent races in the 200m butterfly and 400 I/M to achieve qualifying places in the British Summer Championships. Jodi finished 2nd in the 200m butterfly and 3rd in the 400 I/M with a new PB of 5:08.09, was 5th in the 200m freestyle with a PB of 2:12.46 and was 7th in the final of the 50m butterfly with a PB of 30.60.
Joseph Pomfret, 15, Â set new PBs in the 50m butterfly, 200m backstroke, 400 I/M and 100m freestyle but saved his best for last with a PB in the 200m butterfly of 2:14.53, finishing 5th, which was sufficient to seal his place in the British Swimming Summer Championships, the first time he has qualified for a British event.
Emma Cassell, 16, was 4th in the final of the 50m butterfly with a new PB, 4th in the 200m freestyle and butterfly events, 5th in the 100m butterfly, 6th in the 100m freestyle, 7th in the 100m breaststroke final. Emma has qualified for the 100m and 200m butterfly and the 100m freestyle events at the ASA National Swimming Championships.
Disability swimmers, Josef Craig, 18, Gareth Orr, 22, and Matt Wylie, 18 all set new PBs. Josef a S8 swimmer finished 1st in the 200m and 400m freestyle and 2nd in the 50m and 100m freestyle setting a new PB in the 200m freestyle of 2:13.56. Gareth, a S14 swimmer, finished 1st in the 50m butterfly and 200m I/M and 5th in the 50m and 100m freestyle. Matt, a S9 swimmer, was 1st in the 50m and 100m freestyle and 2nd in the 200m and 400m freestyle setting a PB of 2:11.91 in the 200m freestyle.   The results were based on British Disability Points. Josef and Matt will be representing the club in the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle para-swimming events at the British Swimming Summer Championships.  Jack Bridge, 21, was injured for this meet but has qualified for the British Swimming Summer Championships in the 100m breaststroke and will be swimming the 200 I/M at the ASA National Swimming Championships.
Performance swimmers: Kieran Peart, 18, Joshua Campbell, 17, Andrew Markham, 17, Alexandra Clements, 16, Callum Walker, 16, Jay Manners, 15, Elizabeth Clements, 14 all had good swims throughout the meet.   Kieran’s best results came in the 50m freestyle final, the 100m freestyle final and in the 200m freestyle where he finished 4th in each and was 7th in the 100m breaststroke final. Kieran set PBs in the 50m butterfly, 50m and 100m breaststroke and 100m freestyle. Joshua set a new PB in the final of the 100m breaststroke to finish in 6th place, was 5th in the 200m breaststroke and set PBs in the 50m freestyle and 200m I/M. Andrew reached the finals of the 100m backstroke, 50m backstroke an50m freestyle where he finished 7th, 8th and 9th respectively, setting PBs in each event.  Alexandra was 5th in the final of the 50m backstroke, was 9th in the 100m backstroke final and 10th in the 50m butterfly setting PBs in the 50m and 100m butterfly and 50m backstroke.  Callum qualified for the 50m breaststroke final, finishing 7th and setting a PB in the heat. He also set PBs in the 200m breaststroke where he finished 7th and in the 50m freestyle. Jay had good swims in the 400m freestyle and I/M, 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle events, setting PBs in and reducing his 400 I/M time by more than 7 seconds. Elizabeth finished 3rd in the 200 I/m, 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle, setting PBs in the 200m butterfly and 100m freestyle.
Ana Lazar, 14, Natalya Sharp, 14, Vanessa Rubio, 13,Joe Whelan, 12, Lara Greggs, Madeline Smith, 11, Elyssa Palmer, 10 and Layla Trueman, 10, represented the Age Group Development Squad. Ana reached the finals of the 100m butterfly, 50m butterfly, 100m freestyle and 50m freestyle where she finished 4th, 5th 7th and 9th respectively. Ana achieved PBs in the50m, 200m and 400m freestyle respectively. Natalya’s best results came in the 50m butterfly, 100m breaststroke, 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle where she gained 5th, 5th, 9th, and 9th places respectively with PBs in the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke events. Vanessa set new PBs in all 6 events, achieving four top 20 finishes. Joe finished 12th in the 50m butterfly with a new PB and was 15th and 17th in the 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle while Lara set PBs in each of her events, finishing 8th in the 50m freestyle and backstroke, 9th in the 100m backstroke and 14th in the 100m freestyle. Madeline. Elyssa and Layla each swam in two events and set PBs in each with all three achieving top 20 places.
This was a highly successful home gala which has resulted in one of the club’s largest squads attending the summer British and National events.