FOUR of the area's swimmers struck gold as county champions in the Yorkshire championships at the international pool in Leeds.

The quartet were New Earswick Swimming Club's Alice Lawrenson, Peter Webster of Tadcaster Swim Squad, and York City of Baths Club's Alice Sunderland and Lewis Porylo.

Lawrenson was crowned Yorkshire champion in the girls 12 years 50 metres breastroke and that after scraping into the final in eighth place.

Setting a new long course personal best time of 40.40 seconds she touched in first place in the final, a second ahead of the field and faster than any time set in the heats.

New Earswick team-mate Jennifer Welsh put in excellent times in her first long course pool swims to finish fifth in the 50m freestyle final in a time of 35.87 seconds and eighth in the 50m breaststroke final in a time of 47.74 seconds.

Andrew Clapham set a new personal best time of 31.58 seconds in the 12 years 50m freestyle final to finish fifth and set new personal best times in the heats of the 200m freestyle and 50m butterfly.

Also setting personal best times in the heats were James Richards, who shaved five seconds from his time in the 13 years 100m backstroke and Jenna Howlett in the 11 years 50m breaststroke and in the 12 years 50m freestyle final to finish fifth.

TADCASTER'S 28-strong party produced some outstanding performances led by Peter Webster.

He took the gold medal in the 15-year boys 50m backstroke in a time of 31.93 secs, having set a personal best time in winning his heat.

Tom Davies qualified for the 100m butterfly final finishing eighth. Andrew Withers just missed a bronze medal, and the three boys took sixth, seventh and eighth in the 200m freestyle.

Anna Martin was fourth in the 16-year 400m freestyle, and was reserve finalist for the 100m event, while in the 14-year group, Amy Clayden was fourth in the 100m butterfly and sixth in the 400m freestyle.

Adam Milner gained his reward for his first 400 individual medley swim when he finished fifth in the 13-year group, to go with a good 13th place in the 200m freestyle.

In the same age group, Charlotte Black and Anna Horwell had top 20 placings in the 100m breaststroke.

Stuart Prior also had an eighth place pennant for his 400 IM and he and Laura Dryden narrowly missed reaching the final of the 100m backstroke.

Competing in their first Yorkshire Championships there were good swims from Jessica Walker, Kara Johnson, Chloe Carter, Leah Dever, Naomi Boynton, Kerri Wands, Sam Poulter, Felicity Prior, Luisa Horwell, Claire Passmore, Amy Costello, Kristian Stafford, Matthew, Fiddler, James Webster and Andrew Cowan, who had the distinction of winning the first heat of this year's event.

Amy Clayden, Ann Martin and Peter Webster next compete in the open age group at the ASA Multi-Nations meet in Leeds.

YORK City Baths Club swimmers collected two golds, four silvers, two bronze, and 62 personal best times in the Yorkshire championships.

Gold medals came from Alice Sunderland in the 200 IM and Lewis Porylo in the 200m breaststroke.

Silver medalists were Hannah Petts in the 200 IM, 50m breaststroke, Alice Sunderland 200m freestyle and Tom Southam in the 100m butterfly.

Bronze medals were captured by Hannah Petts 50m freestyle and Rachel Eastough in the 50m breaststroke.

Other finalists were Gawain Ng in the 50m breaststroke and 200m breaststroke; Jenny Hoggard 100m butterfly and 50m back crawl; Alice Sunderland 50m freestyle; Tom Southam 50m back crawl, Julie Watson 400m freestyle; William Peeke-Vout 50m back crawl; Robert Kinnel 50m butterfly; Christopher Burns 50m freestyle; and Andrew Fowler 50m freestyle.

Personal best times were clocked by Robert Kinnel, Andrew Fowler, Alice Sunderland, Sopie Calphin, Rachael Eastough, Lucy Recchia, Hannah Petts, Danielle Horsman, Michelle Moffat, Sam Bradley, William Peeke-Vout, Christopher Burns, Philip Graves, Ben Long, Gawain Ng, Luke Hutchison, Kate Hollier, Joanna Feasby, Alexandra Outhwaite, Anna Skilbeck, Laura Cuthill, Sarah Walker, Marie Walker, Elizabeth-Jayne Young, Ashleigh Husband, Jy Blackwell, Eildh MacDonald, Daniella Walker, Hayley Cuthill, Victoria Graves, Judith Evans, Craig Smith.

Updated: 14:11 Saturday, February 17, 2001