The Neptune Centre was the venue for Middlesbrough ASC’s graded gala and a team of 24 swimmers from COSASC’s Junior Silver, Junior Gold, Age Group Development and Performance B Squads took part in the two day competition. The swimmers won fifty-two gold silver and bronze medals and six 4thand 5th place medals.
Ten year olds Lara Greggs and Tom Brumwell both came away with one gold, three silver and one bronze medal with Lara setting six personal bests and Tom setting five. Lara was first in the 200m backstroke, second in the 200m breaststroke, freestyle and I/M events and third in the 50m breaststroke while Tom was first in the 50m freestyle, second in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and 200m freestyle and third in the 100m backstroke. With medals awarded for 4th – 6th places in the nine and ten age categories, Lara added a further two medals to her total by finishing 5th in the  50m freestyle and 100m breaststroke and Tom gained 4th place in the 200m backstroke event.
Caitlin Cambrook, 9, won two bronze medals, finishing third in the 50m backstroke and freestyle events while team mate Grace Abbott, 9, added a bronze medal to her collection, finishing third in the 200m backstroke event. Ten year olds Zoe Price swam well to finish 4th in the 200m backstroke and 50m butterfly and took home a 5th place medal from the 50m breaststroke event. Vanessa Rubio, 10, won a 5th place medal in the 200m breaststroke, finishing just behind Zoe.
Nine swimmers from the Age Development Squad won an impressive thirty-three medals between them.  James Brewerton, 13, returned to competitive swimming in fine form following a long absence due to injury. He won a hat trick of gold medals in the 200m backstroke, 200m and 400m freestyle events. He also won a silver medal in the 100m backstroke and a bronze medal in the 200 I/M events and set six personal best times.
Alexandra Spencer, 14, also came home with a hat trick of gold medals and added three bronze medals to her medal haul. Alexandra was first in the 200m breaststroke, butterfly and 400m freestyle and was third in the 200m backstroke, freestyle and I/M events.
Callum Walker, 14, once again showed his skills in the breaststroke events by finishing with gold medals in the 50m and 200m events and a silver medal in the 100m event behind Ryan Brewster, 14, who took the gold position.
Ana Lazar, 11, added to her success in recent galas by winning gold in the 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle, silver in the 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 100m butterfly events. Callum Dann, won five medals, gold in the 200m butterfly, silver in the 100m breaststroke and 200 I/M and bronze in the 200m freestyle events. Matching Callum’s medal tally was J.J. Robins, 11, who won three silver medals and two bronze medals in the 50m and 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and and 50m freestyle respectively, setting five personal best times in the process. Alisha Ballantine, 11, won silver medals in the 50m backstroke and 200 I/M and was third in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, setting six personal bests.  Jamie Kemp, 12, finished second in the 200m backstroke to take home a silver medal. Stephanie Burdess, 11, came away with five personal best times with her best result in the 400m freestyle where she finished 5th.
Representing the Performance B Squad, fifteen year olds Joshua Campbell and Ashlyn Liddle, came home with six medals. Joshua was first in the 200m freestyle, second in the 400m freestyle and 200m breaststroke and was third in the 200 I/M events. He also gained seven new personal best times. Ashlyn won a gold medal in the 100m backstroke and a silver medal in the 200 I/M event.
A number of the club’s newer swimmers from the Junior Silver and Gold squads were also in action at the weekend. While they missed out on medals they made up for it gaining many improved times. Adam Cambrook, 13, Adam Boxall, 12, Morgan Maitland, 12, Bethany Grey, 10, Isaac Barnett, 10, and Lia Challoner, 9, set twenty new personal best times between them. If they continue to improve at this rate it shouldn’t be long before they too will be making the podium!