Kicking off the new competitive swimming season were members of Sunderland’s Junior Silver, Junior Gold and Age Group Development squads. The first gala of the season was hosted by Richmond Dales ASC at Freeman’s Quay, Durham and 22 swimmers from our club took part.
With medals awarded for 1st – 6th paces for the 12 year olds and under and for 1st – 3rd places for the older swimmers, Sunderland came home with a healthy tally of 28 medals.
Winning the lion’s share of Sunderland’s medals were eleven year old J.J. Robins and ten year olds Tom Brumwell and Luke Pye. J.J. came home first in the 50m breaststroke and 200m breaststroke, third in the 200m backstroke and 200m butterfly and fourth in the 200m freestyle, 200m I/M and 100m butterfly events setting five personal bests. Tom achieved four personal best times and was second in the 50m backstroke and 100m backstroke, third in the 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle and 4th in the 200 I/M and 200m breaststroke events. Luke finished with two fourth places in the 100m butterfly and 200m backstroke, a fifth place in the 50m backstroke and three sixth places in the 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 200m breaststroke events and set seven new personal best times.
Ten year olds Lara Greggs and Zoe Price and nine year old Niamh Swailes brought home Sunderland’s remaining medals. Lara started the season well to win second place in the 50m freestyle, third place in the 50m backstroke, fourth places in the 100m backstroke and 200m freestyle and 5th place in the 100m freestyle events. Zoe Price was fifth in the 50m breaststroke events and Niamh finished with a hat trick of 6th places in the 200 I/M, 200m backstroke and 50m butterfly events.
Making their debuts for the club were Pauline Ibarra, 14, Maria Birchall, 11 and Natasha Thorpe, 9.
Sunderland made a really solid start to the season and with everyone setting new personal best times the high standard of opposition served only to bring the best out in all of our swimmers. This bodes well for an exciting season of competition to come.