The pool at Middlesbrough’s Neptune Centre certainly suited Sunderland’s swimmers as the squad of 12 came home with 42 medals! Unusually, for a Level 2 meet, the event comprised just one day of racing which saw swimmers competing in up to 8 events.
Performance swimmer, Joseph Pomfret, 15, was in excellent form, winning gold in all his six events and setting a new club record. He swam fast all day achieving a clean sweep of short course PBs in the 100m and 200m Backstroke, 200m butterfly and freestyle, 200m and 400m I/M events. He knocked 7 seconds off his 200m freestyle and 100m backstroke times to finish in 2:03.03 and 1:05.88 respectively, while his time of 4:48.82 in the 400 I/M secured him the club record (for his age group) by almost 3 seconds – a record which had stood since 2007!
Twelve year old Lara Greggs, came home with seven medals. Lara won five gold medals and two silver medals, finishing first in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, 50m butterfly and the 50m and 100m backstroke where she set new PBs in the 100m breaststroke and 50m backstroke events. Lara won silver medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle.
Performance swimmers Adam Boxall, 14 and Jay Manners, 15 were also in fine form achieving multiple PBs. Adam won gold medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke and 200m and 400m freestyle, setting a magnificent 20 second PB in the 400m free to finish in 4:34.85. He also won silver medals in the 50m butterfly and 50m and 100m freestyle. His 100m freestyle time of 59.87 saw him break the minute barrier for the first time and with six new PBs it was a great end to the season.
Jay finished first in the 400m freestyle in 4:24.32 – a 4 second PB. He won a hat trick of silver medals in the 100m freestyle, dipping under the minute for the first time, 50m freestyle and 400 I/M where he reduced his time by an impressive 15 seconds to finish in 4:58.65, breaking the 5 minute barrier. Capping a fast weekend of swimming, Jay won bronze in the 100m backstroke.
Alexandra Clements, 16, and Andrew Markham, 17, won two gold medals each. Alexandra finished first in the 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke while Andrew finished first in the 50m and 100m freestyle and won silver in the 50m backstroke. Callum Walker, 16, won three bronze medals and achieved three PBs in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke events.
J.J. Robbins, 13, Caitlin Cambrook, 11 and Elyssa Palmer, 10 added to the medal tally. J.J. finished 1st in the 400m freestyle and was second in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, 200m freestyle, backstroke and I/M. Caitlin won a silver medal in the 50m butterfly and was third in the 50m and 100m freestyle. Elyssa finished third in the 100m freestyle in 1:23.84, reducing her PB by almost two seconds.
Madeline Smith, 12, finished 4th in the 50m and 100m freestyle events with PBs in both events of almost 2 seconds. Maria Birchall, 13, knocked 1.7 seconds off her 200m I/M to finish 4th and finished 6th in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle.