SWIMMERS representing Cleethorpes and Scunthorpe Aquatics (CASA) travelled to the Ponds Forge 50m pool in Sheffield to compete in the North East Region British Age Group Category championships.

Spread over two weekends, the swimmers needed qualifying times to compete.

Nearly all of CASA's swimmers produced personal best (pb) swims in at least one event – giving CASA an outstanding performance against the big city clubs.

James Burke had a fantastic fortnight, with personal best times in most of his races.

He earned gold medals in the boys' 12 years 100m backstroke, 200m freestyle and 100m freestyle and a bronze medal in the 200m backstroke, with further swims in the 400m freestyle final (6th), the 100m butterfly (6th) and the 200m IM (9th) securing him fourth place in the boys' overall 12-year-old age group awards.

Oliver Webster, also on form, gained gold in the boys' 12 years 400m individual medley with a national qualifying time, gold for the 200m individual medley and also for the 200m breaststroke.

The latter was a personal best time 2:45.63 – unfortunately outside the national qualifying time by 0.01 of a second.

Oliver also won three silver medals for the 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle, and a bronze for the 100m breaststroke.

He gained seventh place in the 100m freestyle final, giving him a clear lead in the points.

Maisie Legge, 12, and brother Samuel Legge, 11, both swam exceptionally well.

Maisie achieved a pb in the 800m freestyle and another best in the 1500m freestyle – giving her national qualifying times for both events and a bronze medal for each. She also won 400m individual bronze in week one.

Maisie swam in further finals and took fifth place in the girls' 12 years BAGCAT points.

Samuel secured a swim at the National Championships in July in the boys' 11 years 400m IM. He also swam in three other finals.

Two outstanding weekends for 13-year-old Callum Gladding saw him achieve a hat-trick of national qualifying times in the 400m freestyle (bronze) , 800m freestyle (gold) and 200m butterfly (silver).

Other finalists over the two weekends included Joshua Jones (13), Tom Wells (13), Holly Williams (12), Caitlin Bower (13), Charlie Spencer (12), Savannah Cheung (13), and Grace Lister (10).

Team events over the two weekends were strongly-fought by CASA's swimmers, with the best placing by the boys 11/14 years 400m medley team (seventh) – James Burke, Oliver Webster, Kieran Skinner and Callum Gladding.