Chris Surtees, from Hunwick, broke the English schools record for the intermediate (14/15) boys 100m butterfly of 58.08 secs, set in 1985, when winning the national schools title in Douglas, Isle of Man, in 57.98 secs, writes ERIC WILKINSON.

He is a former junior (12/13) champion.

Sedgefield's Mathew Bowden successfully defended the senior (16/19) 100m breast stroke title, club mate Angie Winstanly-Smith was first in the intermediate 100m backstroke and Andrew Thirlwell (Newcastle) winner of the junior 200m individual medley, won the intermediate 100m freestyle.

Surtees and Thirlwell were also in the intermediate boys medley and freestyle team which finised second. Natasha Crawley, from Darlington, was runner up in the intermediate 100m butterfly and Richard Savage (Peterlee) was second in the junior 100m butterfly.

Newcastle swimmers head the qualifiers in 15 events at the NE Counties senior short course championships at Middlesbrough on Saturday and Sunday. Sue Rolph, who recently transferred her allegiance to Newburn, has one of her last outings under the Newcastle banner, being tied to that club for NE Counties championships until the end of the year. She is in pole position in the 200m butterfly, freestyle and individual medley.

Michael Downes is the top seed in three events, 50, 100 and 200m back stroke, others are Chris Cook, 50 and 100m breaststroke Nick Jackson, 200m breaststroke and butterfly, Julie Fort, 100 and 200m backstroke, Jill Porer 100m freestyle, Sarah Whewell, 100m individual medley, David Straughan, 200m individual medley.

Durham and district junior league champions Newcastle failed to make it through to the grand final of the national junior league champions competition when it could only finish fifth in the Northern divisional final at Felling on Sunday.

It had three first places in the 43 races, through Sam Espinet, who scored a double In the boys 12 years 50m backstroke and freestyle, and Michelle Hunter girls 50m backstroke.

Result: Hull 223, Liverpool 173, Lincoln Vulcans 148, Fleetwood 136, Newcastle 117, Ulverton 102.

The first four teams qualified for the grand final at Wolverhampton on November 26 when they will meet the first four from the southern divisional final.

Local competitors excelled themselves by winning many titles at the national masters championships in Sheffield. Chester-le-Street member Ian Proud, representing the British police, won the 40-44yrs 1500m freestyle in the British record time for that age group.

Darlington's Mary Slater won 6 gold medals in the 75-79 events, Michael Downes (Newcastle) went NAP in the 19-24 races. Verity Dobbie (Gateshead) won 4 40-44 races and club mate Colin Ovington scored a 30-34 hat trick and another David Chaney 30-34, had a double success as also did Martin Douglas (Newcastle), 25-29. Single wins were gained by Cliff Ward (Stockton), Helen Douthwaite (Thirsk), Graeme Pearson (Gateshead), Mary Purvis (Alnwick), Elizabeth Yaneske and Kevin Smith (Newcastle)