FOURTEEN-year-old Jack Cockerton, junior swimming team captain from Kelly College, swam his way to victory in the men?s 200m breaststroke in a time of 2.30.74 at the recent Western Counties Championships at Millfield in Somerset.

Jack not only won the senior men?s event, but also improved his best time by some six seconds to post the fastest time for a 14-year-old in the UK this year.

His winning form also produced four more medals, two gold in the junior 50m and 100m breaststrokes along with two bronze in the 200m and 400m individual medleys to complete his busy but successful championships.

Jack will now begin 15 weeks of hard training in preparation for the Junior European Championship Trials to be held in Sheffield at the end of March.

Joining Jack on the gold trail was senior girls? captain Rachel Banfield who won the women?s 400m individual medley in 5.08.20 to retain her Western Counties Championship title from last season.

Rachel went on to win four other championship medals, three silver for the 50m,100m and 200m backstroke and one bronze for the 200m individual medley.

New team member Vera Kreutzenbeck swam best performances in the 50m (27.70) and 100m freestyle (1.00.52) in two close and exciting races to finish second on both occasions by mere tenths of seconds.

Senior men?s team captain Matthew Slator had his best ever championship performance when he broke the two-minute barrier for the first time in the men?s 200m freestyle in 1.59.81 which earned him fourth place.

The following day Matthew moved onto the podium to finish third in the senior men?s 100m freestyle in a time of 55.94. Sarah Thomas completed the medal collection with a silver and bronze medal in the 400m individual medley in the junior and senior categories respectively.