SWIMMING: THE City of Chester club sent three swimmers to the Northern Counties gala and they all performed to a high standard.

The only female swimmer for Chester was Lauri Simkiss, 15, who achieved two national qualifying times in the 200m and 100m breaststroke, collecting the bronze medal in the 200m event and the silver in the 100m.

Fifteen-year-old Dan Siddle swam well in all his events, while Jamie Penny, also 15, achieved personal-best times in the 200m individual medley, 100m backstroke and 50m front crawl.

In the 50m backstroke he reached the final and finished seventh overall. The club staged its annual championships last weekend and there were club records for Lucy Worrall (11) in the 50 yard butterfly and freestyle, Hannah Phillips in the 50 yard breaststroke, Tom Allen (11) in the 50 yard butterfly and 100 yard individual medley, Tommy Hall (11) in the 50 yard backstroke and freestyle, Tom Oultram (11) in the 50 yard breaststroke, and Gemma Clethro (13) in the 100 yard breaststroke and butterfly and 200m individual medley.

Top girl awards in various age groups went to Rebecca Eaglesham, Alice Howarth, Lucy Worrall, Hannah Oldfield, Gemma Clethro, Sian Roberts and Lauri Simkiss, and top boy awards were awarded to Ben Jones, Jon Armstrong, Tom Allen, Matthew Humphreys, Jon Winters, Jason Boylan and Peter Hall.