Katherine Stevens is the best female gymnast in Sussex.

The 12-year-old was crowned supreme champion at the County Championships at The Hawth, Crawley.

The Uckfield club member dominated the vault, bars, beams and floor at the Federation of the International Gymnastics level one competition involving 300 gymnasts.

It was the third time in four years the Maresfield-based club had produced the champion, following Kate Taylor (1998) and Lauren Baxter (2000). Katie Seabrook (Brighton and Hove) interrupted the sequence in 1999.

Katherine, who is from Crowborough, said: "Supreme champion means that I've come first at the very top level after starting at level four when I was nine. I am very happy.

"I train after school four times a week and on Saturdays. Sometimes I get tired but I do it because I want to. I think hard work has helped me win the county title.

"I'm pleased to win a third title for my club because they have been very good, particularly my coach Janice Binder."

Katherine, a national squad member, recently won the FIG under-15 event at the South East Region Championships at Guildford.

She also recently progressed from the world class potential to the espoir (up and coming) after finishing fourth in the British Championships.

Katherine said: "My ambition is to be good enough to compete in internationals and I'd love to be in the Olympics."

She had a special supporter at Crawley in Joshua Binder, the son of her coach.

The two-year-old was taken ill with pneumonia while Katherine secured her regional triumph, but was fit enough roar Kathrine to county glory.

Katherine led Uckfield to a clean sweep at Crawley. Alanna Orpen was second and Amy Battell third.

Uckfield also had triumphs through Hannah Taylor (level four out of age), Kate Lyn-Birchmore (level four), Kate Hamilton (level three), with clubmate Jessica Coe runner-up, and Christie Reeves (level two).

Uckfield's Katrina Watts, 21, claimed the veterans' crown.

Binder said: "It has been our best year. It has been down to hard work and talent."

Uckfield duo Natalie Masters and Kim Wenham were second and third to 12-year-old Jody Saxby (Summerfields, Hastings) at level two out of age. Clubmate Leanne Cracknell was fifth at level four out of age.

Uckfield also celebrated success in the women's sports acrobatics competitions.

Alison Novis, 19, and 11-year-old Becci Healey won the FIG pairs open with 49.18 points, while Matt Bennett , 19, and Holly Freeman, 13, took the mixed with 46.19.

The boys' artistic events, which involved four of the six pieces required for international competition (floor, vault, high bar and parallel bars, omitting the pommel and rings) were dominated by Brighton and Hove.

Robert Hempenstall claimed the under-12s' crown from club-mates Chris Neal and Aaron Dunkerton. Brighton and Hove's Anthony O'Donnell triumphed at under-tens with club-mates Jimmy Thompson second and Joe Wheeler third.

Hempenstall, O'Donnell and Thompson have qualified for the British Gymnastics Association Development Plan finals at Lilleshall in November following regional trials at Woking.

Brighton and Hove also won the artistic competition at level five through Skye Balnave Uckfield's Craig Martin, 16, proved his versatility by landing a double in the boys' competitions, winning the under-16s combined floor and vault in the artistic and the intermediate level three tumbling.

Bevendean scored two sports acro victories with Zoe and Elisa Bell winning the intermediate two pairs and Nicola Burnage, Samantha Tasker and Stella Pitt combining for the intermediate three group crown. The Falmer School-based club gained runners-up spots in the intermediate one pairs (Rhiannon Potts and Jade Hazell) and intermediate four group (Helen Smart, Hayley Easen and Elisa Bell).

Clubmates Sophie Lynn and Heidi Maslin were runners-up at national two tumbling.

Clubs involved at the Championships included: Bevendean, Brighton and Hove, CACL (Eastbourne), Chichester, Gyros (Hastings), Hawth (Crawley), Hollington (Hastings), Horsham, Littlehampton, Ouse Valley (Seaford), Portslade, Crawley, Southdowns, Summerfields (Hastings), Uckfield, Wickers (Southwick).

Uckfield sports acrobats Chloe Ticehurst and Jessica Greene have been selected to represent Britain in Poland at intermediate level four in November after winning the trials at Cannock. Clubmates Kate Nottidge and Isis Clegg-Vinell were runners-up.