BREASTSTROKE sensation Caitlin McDonald is a young swimmer in a big hurry.

The fourteen-year-old schoolgirl demonstrated her raw potential by clinching five gold medals and a silver at the recent North Coast Division One Swimming Championships at Coffs Harbour.

McDonald was one of fourteen swimmers from the Stroud Seals Swimming Club based at Lakeside Leisure Centre in Raymond Terrace that performed with distinction against more prominent teams on the North Coast.

She was joined by other gold-medal winning Seals from the Port Stephens region in Alexander Ford (fifteen), Valentina Ward (twelve), and talented sixteen-year-old Para swimmer Will Bradshaw.

Michael Abel, Head Swimming Coach at Lakeside Leisure Centre, told News Of The Area that his small and capable squad had “held their own at a competitive championship meet”.

“All our swimmers put in hours of gruelling work in the pool in preparation for the major event and clocked personal best times,” Abel revealed.

“They took up the challenge and performed strongly against the finest swimmers on the north coast with the medals and PBs a just reward for their efforts,” he stated.

Caitlin, who hails from Glen William, dominated the 100m and 200m breaststroke events with three PBs and spearheaded the Seals’ Mixed Medley A team to a bronze medal with club mates Maddy Flannery (backstroke), Ford (freestyle) and Dan Tatchell (butterfly).

It was a superb swim by the promising quartet in a strong field – recording a PB and finishing on the podium for the first time in a long course competition since the club’s inception.

Ford, a rising freestyle and butterfly swimmer, collected two gold and two silver medals with Bradshaw claiming a gold and silver in freestyle/backstroke and five PBs as well as four bronze medals.

Emerging breaststroker Ward picked up a gold and two silver medals to cap a fine meet.

Other Seals to impress included fourteen-year-old Para breaststroke swimmer Sebastian Webster, who clinched three silver medals.

Fifteen-year-old Lachlan Webster took out a silver and bronze in freestyle and butterfly.

Eleven-year-old Lenny Flannery won two silver, two bronze and recorded four PB.

Thirteen-year-old Georgia McDonald took home two bronze medals and five PBs in freestyle/butterfly, while Lucy De Souza, twelve, recorded three PBs.

Jeremy Edstein, 23, made six top ten finishes in freestyle, while Nelly Flannery, thirteen, had five top ten finishes.

Eleven-year-old Beau Wheeler recorded three PBs.

Nine swimmers including siblings Caitlin McDonald and Georgia McDonald, Sebastian Webster and Lachlan Webster, Ford, Bradshaw, Tatchell plus Nelly Flannery and De Souza (12-14yrs Girls Freestyle Relay) will represent the Seals at the upcoming NSW State Senior Swimming Championships in Sydney.

By Chris KARAS