DESPITE the absence of star swimmers Robin Francis and Richard Harris, York City Baths Club youngsters produced a healthy medal haul in the North Eastern Counties ASA Age Group Long Course Championships at Sheffield.

Harris is suffering from back problems and Francis is concentrating on competing in the Senior National Championships which are being held next week.

It was left to Katy Sunderland, swimming in the 15 years age grouping, to emerge as YCBC's star performer at the Ponds Forge International Pool.

She won two events, came second in one and third in another, collecting a club junior record and three personal best long course times into the bargain.

Sunderland won the 15 years 50m freestyle in a pb of 28.38 seconds and took gold in the 100m butterfly in 1:07.18, was second in the 200m individual medley in a pb and national age group qualifying time of 2:32.79.

She also recorded a pb and club junior record of 1:01.49 as she finished third in the 100m freestyle.

Despite the large number of finalists from York, the only other medallist from the club was 12-year-old Jessica Leonard, who reached the final of the 100m breastroke with a personal best of 1:26.77 in the heats in her first NEC Age Group Championships. She bettered that time in the final with 1:25.99 - just 0.84 of a second outside the National Age Group Championships qualifying time - to take bronze.

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