THE third block of the Devon County Swimming Championships was again fiercely contested at Central Park swimming pool, Plymouth, with Kelly College swimmers adding a further 15 gold, 18 silver and 11 bronze medals to their impressive bag of 84 medals won at earlier events of the competition.

Oliver Smallwood achieved his goal of gold in the 13 year old boys? 50m breaststroke in a personal best of 35.60, backed up with a silver in the 200m breaststroke (2:48.34) also bettering his entry time by 9 seconds.

Fellow team member Daniel Kidwell was third and fourth respectively in the same events.

The boys? 100m freestyle events saw some closely fought duels. It did not come any closer than the 12 year olds where Matthew Henry of Kelly College and Mark Conroy of Plymouth Leander were declared joint gold medallists (1:01.68).

Racing was at its best when the 14 year finalists turned up the pace with the medallists for this event, being within 200th of a second from each other. Dwaine Bushell of Barnstaple (58:59) was first, Sam Thurlow of Exeter City (58:61) second and Kelly?s Jack Williams third (58.63).

Jon Wills had another hard fought battle in his 15 year age group freestyle race where he had to settle for second place on the touch (55:25), a new pb.

Russell Page-Dove dominated the men?s open championships by taking three titles. After a disappointing heat performance he went on to win the championship final of the men?s 50m breaststroke (31.92), adding to his championship firsts in 100m freestyle (53.51) and 100m butterfly (58.65).

Heading the youngsters in the medals for Kelly College was Annie Tinsley in the ten year age band, producing impressive pbs in all her events on her way to claiming the gold medal in 200m freestyle (2:45.82).

In both the 50m backstroke and the 200m individual medley events, Annie had to settle for silver.

For the boys, Joe Clark was second in the 50m breaststroke (45.91) in his 9-year age group after an exciting swim against Ben Rogers (45.21) from Dawlish. Michael Wallis edged out teammate Adam John to take the bronze medal in the same event for the 11 year olds.

Promising 11-year-old swimmer Adam John added to his medals with his first bronze medal of the weekend in the 200m butterfly (3:07.92) triumphantly taking a staggering 22 seconds off his entry time. His second bronze medal came on Sunday in the 200m breaststroke.

Joshua Lake continued to perform strongly in the 12 year age group taking home four medals, one gold, 50m breaststroke (36:88), two silvers and a bronze.

In the 200m breaststroke Alex Bunney of Barnstaple was strongly challenged for the bronze medal by Kelly?s Will Cummings who had to settle for fourth place.

Brikitta Batten set an early standard in the heat of 13 year old girls? 100m butterfly with 1:10.86, setting a new competition best in the event and in the afternoon sealed it with the gold medal in the final. Sunday saw Brikitta swim a positive 200m medley event to take the bronze medal in her age group.

Kelly?s 15-year-old girls dominated all the events, taking first, second and third places in the 100m butterfly, Sarah Thomas (1:06.52), Rebecca Smith (1:10.07) and Sarah Reader (1:11.00).

In the championship final Sarah third place in 1:05.33 was a pb in this event.

Beth Campbell-Boseley struck gold with firsts in both the 200m freestyle (2:14.78), 800 freestyle (9:51.71) and silver in 200m IM.

Rebecca Smith?s pb of 2:33.17 gave her the gold in the 200m IM, Sarah Reader claimed the silver in the 200m freestyle and Jenny Onyon completed the girls medal haul with a second place in the 50m backstroke.

Not to be outdone 16-year-old Elaine Reyes went through a personal barrier of the 2:14 mark with 2:13.78 in the final 200m freestyle and the silver medal. Sunday saw her form continue with a 2:33.01 in the 200m IM heat setting a new Gibraltar Open Record only to better it in the final with a time of 2:31.67.

Competing after her recent success in Germany Vera Kreutzenbeck swimming in the 17 year age group of the girls? 200m freestyle just edged out Exeter City swimmer Melitta Winlove to take the silver medal, with a new pb of 2:12.74.