KELLY College swim team captains Robert Pratt and Samantha Calcutt produced some excellent swims at this year's ASA senior long course (50m pool) National Swimming Championships at Crystal Palace.

Sam Calcutt finally found her true form to clinch the bronze medal in the 17-18 years 50m butterfly on the penultimate day of the championships. Sam, competing in the lower end of the age group, will have another year to turn her bronze medal into a gold.

Robin Brew, Sam's coach, said: 'Sam has unrivalled starting speed but needs to focus on her breathing pattern and final few strokes into the finish in order to move up the medals. Sam is capable of producing something very special and will have another chance to perfect the swim at the National Short Course Championships in a week's time in Norwich.'

Men's team captain Robert Pratt had the most successful nationals of his swimming career to date. Robert's first event set the trend for his nationals and knocked over a second off his personal best time in the 100m backstroke, finishing in 62.74.

Robert showed he is capable of winning under pressure as in both his heats of the 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke he swam from the front to win and posted yet again two more personal best times of 29.41 and 27.67 respectively.

Like Sam, Robert is at the lower end of the 17-18 year categories and with another year's training behind him will to move to challenge the medals next year.

Other notable performances from West Devon swimmers were 16-year-old Rachel Banfield and 17-year-old Peter Freedman who will join the Kelly swim team next term.

Rachel achieved her goal of making the semi-final in the 100m backstroke in a time of 68.19 and went on to produce some excellent swims over the week, one of which was in the toughest events in the swimming programme, the 400m individual medley (5.13.74). Rachel's other times include a 2.24.97 in the 200m backstroke and a 32.43 in the 50m backstroke. Rachel will have two more years in the17-18 years age group and is a really exciting prospect for the future.

Peter Freedman from Tavistock, another backstroke specialist, produced very positive swims in the 50m (30.01), 100m (64.83) and 200m(2.20.24) backstroke events - with more training time available to Peter and Rachel next year will see big improvements from both.