The format of this team competition is each county administration in England and geographical regions in Scotland and Wales put forward a team of swimmers from clubs under their jurisdiction to compete for points to decide the county champions.
There are three age groups, 12/13, 14/15 and 16/17 years, who swim in 100m individual races, medley teams and a 6 x 50m mixed gender/age group freestyle team.
Each county nominates one swimmer for each individual event and one team for each team event per gender and per age group. The 37 counties are split into two leagues, with 20 in division one and 17 in division two with promotion/relegation for four counties each year.
Two heats of each event are held to accommodate up to 20 swimmers with 20 points awarded to the winner, 19 for second place, 18 for third place.....down to 1 point for 20th.
Northumberland and Durham Swimming Association made their selection of 25 swimmers which included Filip and Emma from Sedgefield 75 and the team all travelled together by coach to Ponds Forge. N&D have fared well in this competition in the past and competed in division one.
Filip was chosen to swim the individual 12/13 boys 100m backstroke, finishing 10th fastest and scoring 11 points for the team. Emma was then the teams' 14/15 girls 100m freestyle swimmer and also secured 11 points with a 10th place.
Filip kicked off the 12/13 boys 4 x 50m medley team swimming backstroke and helped earn 18 points finishing third. Emma then swam the anchor freestyle leg of the 14/15 girls medley team to finish 11th and 10 more points.
Emma was then straight back to marshalling to for another 50m free as part of the mixed 6 x 50 freestyle team, swimming the third leg and another 10th place finish.
Both swimmers played their part in a tremendous team effort as N&D finished third in the competition behind winners Kent and runners-up Yorkshire.
Number of swimmers in the team from by club:
Newcastle Swim Team 6
City of Sunderland 3
BOSSS 3
Morpeth 3
Sedgefield 2
Middlesbrough, Derwentside, Tynedale, Chester le Street, Richmonddales, Darlington, Gateshead & Whickham, Tynemouth 1
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