KATE WARD celebrated her 12th birthday in golden style.

She scored firsts for Tyldesley SC in the Central Lancashire Age Group Gala at Broughton.

Kate won the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly events - missing out in both by hundredths of a second.

Eleven-year-old Khalid Jhugroo also went close to double gold, winning the 200 IM but pipped by 1/100th of a second in the 100 backstroke.

Stephen Riley was sixth in that event.

Christopher Osborne was second in the 14-Year 200 IM, a position matched by Kelly Banner in the 11-Year 100 backstroke.

Kelly followed that up with a bronze in the 200 IM, Samantha Greensmith hitting sixth place.

Samantha, Nicola Jones and Stephanie Thompson also swam PBs in the 100 backstroke.

Bronze medals also went to Melanie Fairhurst in the 16+ 100 breaststroke and Andrew Hurst in the 13-Year 400 freestyle. Andrew followed that with fifth at100.

Making their debuts in the comp were Mark Hurst, Matthew Concannon and James Hill, all three making great starts with good placings and PBs.

Frank Partington swam to a PB in the 13-Year 100 backstroke.

Just missing out on the medals were Michelle Todd (4th in the 15-Year 100 breaststroke) and Stuart Carlisle (4th in the 12-Year 100 freestyle), Andrew Rigby and Gary McDonough.

In the team events Tyldesley's 15/16-Year medley squad of Jonathan Stafford (back), Andrew Rigby (breast), Philip Stout (fly) and Matthew Cutt won the gold with the 13/14-Year medley squad of Andrew Hurst (back), Frank Partington (breast), Oliver Urpi (fly) and James Cutt (free) taking silver.

The 11/12-Year freestyle team of Nicola Jones, Samantha Greensmith, Kate Ward and Stephanie Thompson were fifth and the 11/12-Year team of Khalid Jhugroo, Stuart Ainscough, Stephen Riley and Stuart Carlisle were sixth.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.