Angela Winstanley-Smith (Sedgefield) has been selected for the GB team to swim in the annual Three Nations junior contest in Hamburg on December 16-17, writes ERIC WILKINSON.

In doing so, she follows in the footsteps of her club mate Matthew Bowden by gaining international honours in both swimming and waterpolo. They are thought to be the first to do so for many years. To have two members gaining double international honours is an excellent achievement by the Sedgefield club, especially as it has not had waterpolo teams for very long.

Newcastle's senior British international Sarah Whewell won a remarkable eight of the ten women's events and was second in the other two at the 17th Darlington big open swim meet at the Dolphin Centre last weekend to take the women's top points prize by a huge margin.

Her successes were in the 200m individual medley, 100m and 200m breaststroke and butterfly, 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle and she was runner-up in the 100m and 200m backstroke. The 100m was won by her club mate and fellow international Julie Fort, the former Wear Valley club member, who got the award for the best time clocked at the meet on a points system based on the world records.

The women's open 200m backstroke was won by Angela Winstanley-Smith who was also first in four of the five girls 15-16yrs races and was fourth in the other. In winning the 100m backstroke she broke the meet record being the only one to do so during the weekend.

Jessica Dickons (Stockton) also had four wins and a fourth place in the ten years races, however, the top girls age group points prize was shared by Natasha Crawley (Middlesbrough) with four first and one second places in the 13-14yrs age group and Danielle Berry (Newcastle) who had the same results in the 11-12yrs age group.

The boys points prize was won by Andrew Thirlwell (Newcastle) who had a hat-trick of wins in the 15-16 events and a second and third place.

The men's top points prize went to Michael Downes (Newcastle) who scored a hat-trick of wins in the 100m freestyle, 100m and 200m backstroke and was runner-up in the 200m butterfly, freestyle and individual medley. Newcastle completed a very successful weekend by retaining the top senior and age group points trophies.

The Northumberland and Durham waterpolo team defeated Cheshire 13-4 in the ASA's junior men's county championship at Middlesbrough on Sunday with Matthew Bowden scoring a double hat-trick. The other scorers were Adam Burton (2), George Carpenter Jnr, Scott Carpenter, Steve Green, David Farmer and Peter Atkinson got one each.

The quarter-time score was 3-1, half-time 6-1 and three-quarter 9-1. The Twin Counties meet Lancashire next at Manchester in two weeks time