The 2008 Regional Youth and Senior Age Group Championships took place at Ponds Forge, Sheffield over the weekend of 3rd/4th May. Swimmers from across the Region were competing in a full range of events, and also Youth teams (women aged 14-17 years of age and men aged 15-18 years of age) were looking to qualify for the National Championships in the summer.
In the Women’s events, Rachael Wilson (Derwentside SC) and Aimee Willmott (Middlesborough SC) both won 3 gold medals. Rachael won the 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke events, whilst Aimee won the 400m IM, 100m Backstroke and 200m Backstroke. Rachel Haigh (City of Newcastle SC) won the 100m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly, with Stephanie Johnson (Derwentside SC) and Emma Graham (City of Leeds SC) also winning two events each. Stephanie won the 100m Butterfly and 200m Butterfly and Emma won the 800m Freestyle and 50m Freestyle. Jessica Thielmann (City of Newcastle SC) won the 400m Freestyle and also picked up a silver and two bronzes, and Caroline Saxby (Sedgefield SC) won the 200m Freestyle, and came second in the 100m Freestyle and 400m Freestyle. Sarah Gibson (Peterlee SC) won the 50m Backstroke, Charlotte Broadbent (City of Sheffield SC) won the 200m IM and Emily Fisher (City of Leeds SC) won the 1500m Freestyle. In the team events, City of Sheffield ‘A’ won the 4 x 100m Freestyle and 4 x 200m Freestyle, with the City of Newcastle team second on both occasions. In the 4 x 100m Medley relay the Newcastle team took top spot ahead of runners up City of Leeds SC.
In the Men’s events, Andrew Mayor of City of Newcastle SC won 4 events, the 200m Butterfly, 50m Butterfly, 200m IM and 100m Butterfly. Andrew Shepherd (City of Sheffield SC) won three gold’s, in the 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke and 200m Backstroke. Jack Dunn (City of Sheffield SC) took home gold’s from the 800m Freestyle and 200m Freestyle whilst Paul Robinson (City of Newcastle SC) won the 100m Freestyle and the 50m Freestyle. Joe Sowden ( City of Leeds SC) won the 50m Breaststroke, Andrew Winspear (Borough of Stockton SC) won the 400m IM, Christopher Knight (City of Newcastle SC) won the 400m Freestyle, Patrick Callan (Wear Valley SC) won the 200m Breaststroke with Paul Hargreaves (City of Sheffield SC) winning the 100m event and Glen Martin (Billingham SC) won the 1500m Freestyle. In the team events, City of Sheffield ‘A’ won the 4 x 100m Medley relay and the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay. City of Newcastle ‘A’ won the 4 x 100m Freestyle relay.
