Newburn New Year Meet.
City of Sunderland swimmer Joseph Robbins demonstrated his versatility in the pool, taking an impressive eight gold medals at the Newburn New Year Meet, held at the Louisa Centre, Stanley. The ten year old topped the podium in the 50m and 200m freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke events as well as the 200m and 400m individual medley races. Robbins also won silver medals in the 100m freestyle and butterfly and bronze medals in the 400m freestyle and 50m butterfly.
Eleven year old team mate Callum Dann also struck gold with six victories in the 200m and 400m freestyle, 200m backstroke, 100m butterfly, and the 200 and 400m individual medley events. Dann also took the 200m butterfly silver and the 200m breaststroke bronze medals.
Pick of the bunch for the girls was eleven year old Eve Larsen with five gold medals in the 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 100m butterfly and 400m individual medley, together with a 200m butterfly silver medal and a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle. Also recording a haul of five gold medals was Callum Reveley (13) with victories in the 100m and 400m freestyle, 100m and 200m backstroke and the 200m individual medley as well as a silver medal in the 200m butterfly, while Georgina Lamb (13) also topped the podium in the 100m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, 200m butterfly and the 400m individual medley as well as taking silver medals in the 400m freestyle and the 200m backstroke.
Golden hat tricks were recorded by Ana Lazar (10) in the 400m individual medley, 50m and 400m freestyle, Joseph Pomfret (12) in the 50m butterfly, 100m m breaststroke and freestyle and Jennifer Tatters (16) in the 100m butterfly, 200m and 400m freestyle. Lazar also recorded a silver hat trick in the 50m backstroke, 100m freestyle and butterfly events, while Tatters also won a 100m breaststroke silver medal.
Jay Whitehead (12) won gold medals in the 50m butterfly and 200m individual medley as well as silvers in the 100m butterfly, 200m and 400m freestyle and bronze medals in the 50m breaststroke and 100m backstroke, while Bethany Star Cooper (11) enjoyed victories in the 200m breaststroke and the 400m freestyle and bronze medals in the 50m breaststroke and butterfly and the 200m and 400m individual medley events. Nine year old Tom Brumwell also chipped in with a double gold from the 50m and 200m freestyle events.
Ashlyn Liddle (14) won the 200m butterfly gold medal as well as silver medals in the 100m and 200m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 100m butterfly, with bronze medals in the 200m breaststroke and individual medley events, while Jade Shovelin (12) took the 50m breaststroke gold, silvers in the 200m backstroke and 400m individual medley and the 200m individual medley bronze. Jack Tallentire (14) topped the podium in the 100m backstroke and won silvers in the 200m backstroke and butterfly, Ben Hutchinson (11) took the 100m freestyle gold and bronze medals in the 100m breaststroke, 100m and 200m backstroke and Lida Abrie (15) won the 100m breaststroke gold medal.
Silver and / or bronze medal winners were nine year olds; Vanessa Rubio, Joe Whelan. Ten year olds, Aimee Hanson and Stephanie Burdess. Eleven year olds, Natalya Sharp, Cameron Donaldson and Adam Boxall. Twelve year old Tom Whelan. Thirteen year olds, Alexandra Spencer, Raegan Dodds, Jennifer Sharp, Christina Castledine, Callum Walker and William Robinson. Fourteen year olds, Abigail Carlisle, Leah Hutchinson, Joshua Campbell and Kristian Donaldson.
A number of other swimmers also won medals for fourth, fifth and sixth place finishes.