KELLY College?s swimmers were in the hunt for the medals again last weekend. Saturday was the penultimate day of the Devon County ASA Championships where the last of the individual titles for 2003 were competed for.

Kelly swimmers again had a profitable day, winning 14 gold, nine silver, seven bronze medals and two Devon County Championship titles, in the process setting eleven competition best times.

The competition started with the men?s 12 and over 400 Individual medley. Two of Kelly?s rising young stars produced creditable performances. Thomas Howe (4:58.56), the only swimmer breaking the five-minute barrier in his 13-year age group, winning the gold medal with both a personal best and competition best time (CBT).

Teammate Jack Cockerton in the 14-year age group took double gold in this event, first in his age group and taking the Devon County Championship title. Jack took ten seconds of his previous best time, setting a new 14-year age group CBT of 4:47.67.

Later in the morning the pace was fast and furious with both the boys and girls taking up the challenge of being the fastest swimmer in the county as the 50m freestyle events got underway.

Kelly?s 10-year-old Annie Tinsley (33.46) put her head down at the finish to narrowly beat Julia Walkden (33.66) of Sidvale for the gold medal. With Joe Clark (31.83) doing likewise for the boys over James Bunney (31.90) of Barnstaple.

In the 12 year olds Joshua Lake (28.59), a new CBT, took the gold medal over fellow team member Matthew Henry (29.13). Dwaine Bushell of Barnstaple achieved gold for the 14-year-old boys and Kelly?s Jack Cockerton (26.66) and Jack Williams (27.07) had to settle for silver and bronze respectively.

The 15-year-old girls from the college remained dominant taking the top four places in this event, Sarah Thomas (28.49) - a new CBT, Rebecca Smith (29.34), Beth Campbell Boseley (29.81) and Sarah Reader (30.20).

German National Vera Kreutzenbeck swam a cautious 50m freestyle heat (28.25) coming back in the final (27.20) to win an exciting duel over Exeter City?s Melitta Winlove (27.66) to take the championship title.

The atmosphere was electric later during the Skins competition of the same event with Melitta Winlove reversing the tables and winning the final skin with Vera Kreutzenbeck challenging to the end. Kelly?s Jonathan Wills had a creditable induction in the same event for men, coming third to Plymouth Leander?s Simon Hext and Mark Robinson.

Other events covered in the day were the women?s 100 IM, 10-year-old Annie Tinsley (1:25.71) coming second to Plymouth Leander?s Samantha Conroy (1:25.52). Brikitta Batten (1:13.31) second in the 13 year olds, a new CBT and first place for Sarah Thomas (1:09.20) in the 15 year olds, with Rebecca Smith (1:13.60) second, and Elaine Reyes (1:11.51) in the next age band.

The championship final of that event saw Melitta Winlove of Exeter City (1:07.57) take the gold and Kelly?s Sarah Thomas (1:08.47) the silver, both girls inside the record of 1:08.85 previously held by Heather Fell of Kelly College.

Joe Clark (10) took his second gold of the day in the 200m freestyle event (2:35.75).

Adam John (2:25.39) did likewise in the 11-year-old group to add to his bronze in the 50m freestyle (31.15) earlier in the day. Matthew Henry (2:13.37) swam in silver medal position for the 12 year olds. Thirteen-year-old Thomas Howe (2:04.26) collected another gold in a new CBT with Jack Cockerton, 14, (2:04.04) achieving the same double feat.

Sunday saw renewed enthusiasm for the finale of the Devon ASA 2003 County Championships with the relay events being closely fought for. Kelly College entered 14 events, winning eight of them, coming second in three and taking one bronze place.

In the Devon County Schools event the Kelly girls? team of Beth Campbell-Boseley, Rebecca Smith, Jakie Wellman and Sarah Thomas (1:56.60) retained the Torquay Leander Cup. Whilst the boys? 4x50m freestyle team of Jack Williams, Thomas Howe, Jack Cockerton and Jonathan Wills (1:45.43) comfortably retained the Sherrif Shield.

The 11/12-year-old boys? teams were successful in both their freestyle and medley relays. The 15/16 girls? 4x50m medley team saw an exciting finish by Kelly?s Elaine Reyes swimming the final freestyle leg for the team, catch up and hold on for the win over Exeter City who had held the lead until the last 25m. A young team of 13,14 and15-year-old boys creditably challenged in open relays to take silver in the medley and bronze in the freestyle event.

The grand finale was David Hill, celebrating his 14th birthday, who rejoined his team in Plymouth on Sunday after a successful week of competition in the multi-disability events of the British 2003 Long Course Championships in Sheffield.

David, swimming the opening 50m backstroke leg for 13/14 boys? 4x50m medley relay, swam a speedy 32.66 which was inside his current short course world record time of 32.77, helping the team of Jack Cockerton (breaststroke), Thomas Howe (butterfly) and Jack Williams (freestyle) secure another gold medal.