A PERSONAL best performance from youngster Sam Whittaker was the highlight of the North Eastern Swimming Championships for Tadcaster Swim Squad.

The 11-year-old swimmer, from Bishopthorpe, was the Tadcaster club’s sole representative at the Ponds Forge event in Sheffield.

Entrants have to meet strict qualifying times for each age group and in his first appearance at this level of competition, Whittaker recorded a personal best time of one minute 37.14 seconds.

That time saw him finish tenth in the 11-year-old boys’ 100 metres breaststroke.