Swimmers from COSASC’s Performance and Age Group Development Squads travelled to the pool at Billingham Forum to compete in the BOSSS Winter Festival. The trip was highly successful with the club returning with 19 gold, 29 silver and 25 bronze medals.
Showing their versatility by winning medals in eight events each were Gabrielle Burdess, 14, and J.J. Robins, 11. Gabrielle, returning to competition after injury, won four gold medals in the 200m backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke and I/M, three silver medals in the 50m backstroke, 100m breaststroke, 100m backstroke and a bronze medal in the 100m butterfly events. J.J. almost matched this medal tally by winning three gold medals in the 200m breaststroke, backstroke and freestyle events, four silver medals in the 200m butterfly, 200m I/M and the 100m butterfly and I/M events and a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke.
Following closely in the medal stakes were Ana Lazar and Natalya Sharp, both 11, who took home a further 13 medals. Ana scored a hat trick of first places in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m I/M, a second place in the 50m butterfly and a hat trick of third places in the 50m backstroke, 100m butterfly and backstroke events. Natalya was first in the 200m backstroke and breaststroke, second in the 100m breaststroke and third in the 200m freestyle, I/M and 100m backstroke events.
Winning six medals was fourteen year old Ashlyn Liddle who amassed five silver medals in the 200m freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, 50m and 100m butterfly events and added a bronze medal in the 200m I/M event.
Lida Abrie, 16, and Lauren Patterson, 13, both won 5 medals apiece. Lida won gold medals in the 100m breaststroke and 200m backstroke, silver medals in the 200m breaststroke and 100m I/M and was third in the 50m freestyle. Lauren gained gold from the 200m freestyle event, a hat trick of silver medals in the 200m backstroke, 100m backstroke and freestyle events and finished third in the 200m I/M.
The remaining medals were won as follows: Eve Larsen, 12, was second in four events, the 200m freestyle and backstroke, 100m breaststroke and butterfly. Jack Tallentire was 2nd in the 200m backstroke and third in the 50m backstroke and butterfly and 100m backstroke. Ryan Brewster, 14, won a silver medal and three bronze medals in the 200m backstroke, breaststroke, 100m I/M and breaststroke events respectively. Joe Pomfret, 12, came first in the 200m butterfly and won two silver medals in the 50m backstroke and 200m I/M. Lara Greggs, 10, won a silver medal in the 200m backstroke and added a further two bronze medals in the 100m I/M and 50m freestyle. Jay whitehead, 13, came 1st in the 200m backstroke and was third in the 200m butterfly. Callum Dann, 12, won gold in the 200m freestyle and won a silver medal in the 200m backstroke event. Joe Whelan, 10, was first in the 100m backstroke and took home a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle. Jennifer Sharp, 13, was third in the 100m I/M and butterfly events whilst Tom Whelan, 13, and Ryan Henry, 15, each won a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle and 200m backstroke respectively.
Alisha Ballentine, Stephanie Burdess, Joshua Campbell, Jordan Henry, Charlotte Jurgens, Jamie Kemp and Darcy Palmer also competed over the weekend adding to the number of personal best times achieved by the team.