THE Consett ASC girls' nine year relay team of Beth McPherson, Lisa Maughan, Sarah Hilditch and Emily Byrne were double winners at the Richmond Dales Open Graded Meet, held in Darlington's Dolphin Centre Pool.

The Consett girls romped home to win the nine years 4x1 freestyle relay by over seven seconds from Wear Valley, and also put Wear Valley into second place in the 4x1 medley relay, again by over seven seconds.

Lucy McPherson won the girls' 12/13 years 100 metres butterfly by exactly three seconds from runner-up Abigail Mulhern (Sedgefield District). McPherson also won bronze medals in the 100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle.

There were bronze medals for Consett swimmers Matthew Whitwood (boys' 10/11 yrs 50 backstroke) and Ben Wright (boys' 14 yrs 100 freestyle).

Sisters Alison and Rachel Mell, of Durham City ASC, both brought home gold medals. Alison won the girls' 10/11 years 50 metres freestyle in 35.43 sec, with Claire Patterson (Tynemouth) and Leah Evans (Middlesbrough) close behind in the minor placings. Less than half a second covered the first three girls home.

Rachel won the girls' 14 years 100 backstroke in 1 min 21.91 sec, with Ashington pair Jenny Dobson and Pamela Tarbit taking the minor medals. Rachel also took bronze in the 100 freestyle.

There were bronze medals for Laura Harding in the girls' 10/11 years 50 butterfly, Stephen Harding in the boys' 12/13 years 100 freestyle, and the Durham boys' nine years 4x1 medley relay team of Chris Unsworth, Andrew Howson, Tom Edwards and Matthew Hand.

Derwentside's Claire Ledger won the girls' 10/11 years 50 backstroke. Clubmate Chris Tilley took silver in the boys' 12/13 years 100 breaststroke, pipped for the gold by just seven hundredths (0.07) of a second. Winner John Peacock, of Sedgefield, clocked 1 min 32.28 sec, with Tilley second in 1-32.35.

Mark Ledger won bronze in the boys' 12/13 years 100 backstroke behind Ross Lambert of Boldon and Sedgefield's Jason Blair.

Local placings: Consett: Boys: 10/11 yrs., Matthew Whitwood 50 bk 3, Philip Whitehead 50 bk 6, 50 fly 5; 12/13 yrs., Kris Smith 100 bst 6, Jonathon Cook 50 free 3; 14 yrs., Ben Wright 100 free 3, 100 bk 6, Chris Whitehead 100 free 6, 100 bk 4, 100 bst 6. Girls: 9 yrs., 4x1 FR 1, 4x1 MR 1; 10/11 yrs., Emily Connell 50 fly 6; 12/13 yrs., Lucy McPherson 100 fly 1, 100 bst 3, 100 free 3.

Durham City: Boys: 9 yrs., 4x1 FR 4, 4x1 MR 3; 12/13 yrs., Stephen Harding 100 free 3, 100 bk 4. Girls, 9 yrs., 4x1 FR 5, 4x1 MR 6; 10/11 yrs., Alison Mell 50 bk 4, 50 free 1, 50 bst 5, Laura Harding 50 free 3; 14 yrs., Rachel Mell 100 free 3, 100 bk 1, 100 bst 7.

Derwentside: Boys: 10/11 yrs., Grae-me Turner 50 bk 8, 50 free 4; 12/13 yrs., Chris Tilley 100 bst 2, Mark Ledger 100 bk 3. Girls: 10/11 yrs., Claire Ledger 50 bk 1; 14 yrs., Karen Penrose 100 bk 6, Emma Hughes 100 bk 7, Sam Fairless 100 bk 8.