YORK CITY Baths Club swimmers increased their total number of Yorkshire County Championship medals to 19 during the recent Group of Championships at Leeds International Pool.

WATER BABIES: Here are some of the youngsters who took part in New Earswick Swimming Club's first Novice Gala of the year

They achieved 45 personal best times with five gold, two silver, and two bronze medals from a total of 11 finalists.

Robin Francis took gold in both the men's 200m individual medley and the 100m freestyle with times of 2-12.24 and 54.45 respectively. He was also bronze medalist in the 100m breaststroke in 1-10.08.

Tom Southam swam personal best times to win both the boys' 13yrs 200m individual medley in 2-30.18 and the boys' 13yrs 100m butterfly in 1-08.47.

Katy Sunderland won York's other gold in the girls' 15yrs 200m individual medley in a personal best long course time of 2-30.57. She also took silver in the girls' 15yrs 400m individual medley in 5-24.99.

Cassie Smith swam to silver in the girls' 13yrs 100m backstroke in 1-14.83 after setting a personal best in the heats of 1-14.63.

Ciara Harvey produced two personal best times of 1-07.28 in the heats and 1-06.64 in the final of the girls' 13yrs 100m freestyle to take bronze.

Steven Emmerson swam a personal best of 1-10.08 in the heats of the boys'16yrs 100m backstroke, gaining sixth place in the final in 1-10.30.

Charlotte Proctor and Bob Hunt made history at New Earswick Swimming Club's first Novices' Gala of the year at New Earswick pool.

They were the first to receive new trophies in memory of a swimming teacher at the club who died last year.

The Stewart Hunter Memorial Trophy is awarded to the most improved boy and girl swimmer in the teaching classes. He was involved in teaching children to swim at New Earswick for over 25 years and taught all 83 who swam in the novices' gala at which the awards were presented by his widow, Lily.

New Earswick's swimmers shone at the second meeting of the 1999 Yorkshire Age Group swimming championships at Leeds, with two finalists and eight personal best long course times.

Victoria Clapham reached the finals of both the 100 metres freestyle, and backstroke events, finishing eighth in both.

There were four representatives in the girls ten-year-old 50 metres freestyle, and far from being overawed by the occasion, Alice Lawrenson, Sarah Welsh, Emily Broadbent and Sarah Beall all posted personal bests, while in the boys ten years butterfly a personal best for Andrew Clapham saw him finish tenth overall.

In the 12-year-old girls age, there were personal best long course times for Nicola Howlett in both butterfly and breaststroke, and for Lucy Gould in the girls 13-year backstroke.

Despite missing out on a personal bests, there were also fine swims from Lucy Clapham and Tony Shaw in their respective races.

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