HAVING not competed for almost eighteen months it was with mixed emotions that City’s swimmers travelled south to Sheffield to compete in the North East Region and Yorkshire Swimming Association’s Festival of Swimming.

Seventeen year old Sam Akers earned a second place finish in the 400m freestyle and top ten places in the shorter 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle in the eighteen years and over category

Cameron Mander led the charge with first place finishes in the 100m and 200m breaststroke.

In the girls events it was fourteen year old Sophia Gledhill who finished a very creditable third in both the 100m and 200m butterfly. She also had top ten finishes in the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley.

Other finalists were Fraser Buxton (5), Freddy Dean (4), Gina Warrior (4), Ciara O’Carroll (3), Robbie Ambler (2), Laura Temple (2), Louie Dove (2), and bringing up the rear Jasmine Shay (1).

All swimmers train on the Bradford Aquatics Competition programme under the guidance of coaches Andy Pearce and Sarah Fisher.