The first home gala of 2014 saw sprint specialists Freya Rayner and Adam Taylor dominate their age groups winning eleven gold medals between them. This helped swell the club’s medal haul to fifty-six medals.  The two day gala was held at Sunderland’s Aquatic Centre and with swimmers from all over the north-east and Cumbria taking part, COSASC’s squad of 45 swimmers got the opportunity to compete against high quality opposition in the first Level 1, long course meet of the season.
Fifteen year old Freya, won five gold medals and one silver medal. Her winning performances came in the 50m freestyle, backstroke butterfly, 100m backstroke and freestyle and she was second in the 100m butterfly. Freya gained national qualifying times in the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke and set club records for those two events as well for the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle.
Adam, aged seventeen, won six gold medals and one silver medal. He made it a clean sweep in the backstroke events, winning gold at the 50m, 100m and 200m distances. Adam was also first in the 50m and 100m butterfly events and in the 50m freestyle. He finished second in the 100m freestyle to take silver.
Disability swimmers, eighteen year old Nicole Lough and Matt Wylie, seventeen, had a successful weekend winning all their events. Nicole set new personal best (pb) times in the 50m freestyle and butterfly events and her 50m breaststroke swim won her a bronze medal in the non disability class too. Matt set new pbs in the 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 100m backstroke events.
Carissa Armijo, thirteen, had another good competition finishing first in the thirteen year old girls BAGCAT category. In her last gala before returning to America, Carissa won four silver medals and two bronze medals in the following events: 800m, 400m and 200m freestyle, 400m I/M, 100m butterfly and freestyle.
Emma Sinclair, seventeen, Lucy Walton, sixteen and Matthew Phillips, thirteen, all won a gold medal. Emma finished first in the 200m butterfly, was second in the 100m and 50m butterfly and was third in the 100m freestyle, in a pb time. Lucy won her gold in the 400m freestyle, won silver medals in the 400m I/M and 200m backstroke and in the 200m butterfly finished third. A last minute decision to swim the 1500m freestyle paid dividends for Matthew as he came away with a gold medal.
Winning eleven silver medals between them and one bronze were: Gabrielle Burdess, fifteen, Anya Sordy, fourteen, J.J. Robins, twelve, Callum Reveley, fifteen and Natalya Sharp, twelve. Gabrielle finished second in the 800m and 400m freestyle and in the 400m and 200m I/M. Anya finished second in the 800m, 400m I/M and 200m butterfly. J.J. won his medals in the 1500m freestyle and 400 I/M  and set five new pbs, whilst Callum finished second in the 200m freestyle and was third in the 200m butterfly. Natalya won her silver medal in the 50m breaststroke and set new pbs in the 50m and 100m butterfly events.
Joshua Campbell, sixteen, Callum Walker, fifteen, and Jodi Bunker, fourteen, each won a hat trick of bronze medals. Joshua and Callum both won their medals in the breaststroke events winning them at the 50m, 100m and 200m distances and both set four new pbs over the weekend. Jodi was third in the 400m and 800m freestyle and the 200m butterfly events and finished second in the fourteen year old girls BAGCAT category.  Also winning bronze were Ana Lazar, twelve who was third in the 100m and 400m freestyle and finished second in the twelve year old girls BAGCAT category. Jennifer Sharp, fifteen, finished third in the 50m butterfly, Elizabeth Clemments, thirteen was third in the 400 I/M, Eve Larsen thirteen was third in the 50m butterfly and Alisha Ballantine, twelve won her bronze medal in the 200m freestyle and set an impressive eight pbs over the weekend.
At this stage in the season the emphasis is moving from short course to the long course competition and COSASC’s performances this weekend provides a great basis to move forward. In addition to our medallists the remainder of the squad achieved some excellent swims, many setting multiple personal best times and showing that the hard work in training spent on improving skills is paying off. With the following major competitions in sight: Northern Regional Zonals (January); the Northumberland and Durham County Championships (February and March); the British Championships (April); the club is in a strong position to do extremely well.