SIX members of Okehampton Otters Swimming Club travelled to Exeter on Sunday to participate in the host's eighth 50m sprint open meet.

This competition has proved successful in the past for the club and this year's event was no exception.

In the 10 year boys' category where friends and rivals Alex Wooldridge and Matthew Westlake competed, Alex swam in all five events on offer setting four pbs and gaining three club records.

His best swim came in the breaststroke where he set a pb in the heats by three seconds, 46.97, only to better this again in the final by almost a further two seconds, 45.05, a new club record. This swim gave Alex a silver medal.

Also in the final of the breast was Matthew. This is probably his weakest stroke, so to get there was an achievement in itself. Again he produced a pb with some four seconds erased, 50.29 gave him a final place swimming next to Alex where he did another pb to finish fifth in 49.85.

The lads again went head to head in the free and both swam to pb. Matthew was 10th in 40.12 , Alex 11th in 40.63.

Next the 4 x 25m individual medleys. Matthew erased four seconds to finish seventh in 1.43.60. One place ahead was Alex who smashed an amazing 26 seconds off his time to break the club record in 1.40.85.

Alex's final club record came in the 50m fly. Here he looked in control throughout to finish 10th in 48.72.

Matthew swam in the 50m back gaining a pb in 47.73 to place ninth.

Charlotte Rowe swam in the girls' 10 years age group. In the 50m fly she smashed five seconds off her previous time to be placed in seventh in a time of 41.59, also a club record by some margin.

Her other event was the 4 x 25m individual medley. Again, 14 seconds came off this time. She finished as a reserve finalist, in seventh place. This was a club record swim. Charlotte is continuing to train with the Devon squad at the moment.

Cameron Huxtable, aged 11 years, swam in the 50m back where he sneaked into the final to have another crack at the opposition. Here he bettered his heat time (42.43) to be placed sixth and receive his medal from the Devon County swimming president. His other swim gained him a pb and club record in the free, again the finishing place was seventh in 35.96.

Club captain Jenny Rice swam four events. She managed to get into the final of the 15 and over 50m free and improved her time slightly in which a blanket finish placed her sixth.

Her other swims were the 4 x 25m ind medley ninth, 50m fly eighth and 50m back where she gained a pb and club record in 35.91 .

Jenny has started training with the West Devon swim squad so the extra training here should benefit her in the near future.

Jo Cade made up the team and swam a pb and club record to feature in the final of the 14 years 50m back. In the final she could not quite match the heat swim and finished sixth.

The last event of the 50m free saw Jo swim to the now favourite finishing place of seventh.

Coach Nigel West was extremely pleased with the efforts of all the swimmers and said Matthew and Alex were developing into fine swimmers.

'Five finalists, six reserve finalists, eight club records and 15 pb swims — it was a fantastic day for the club,' he said.