TWO consecutive days? competition at Tiverton?s new swimming pool completed this year?s Devon Development galas.

Following the successes gained a couple of weeks ago at Plymouth, 13 Okehampton Otters swimmers were involved in 37 events over the two days.

The swimmers excelled themselves, improving on 29 personal best times and leaving ten club records tumbling. From the 37 events entered, there were 20 top ten places achieved with a total of 32 swims finishing in the top 20 positions.

Two swimmers put in remarkable performances to end the championships in placed positions in the BAG points. Matthew Westlake, 11 years, second and Janek Jachnik, 14 years, fourth.

Janek smashed five club records for the 50m,100m and 200m breaststroke, 100m backcrawl and 200m IM, and recorded six personal bests, achieving a hat-trick of first places in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke events.

He recorded a second in the 200m IM and third in the 100m IM and backstroke.

Matthew Westlake now holds club records in the 200 IM, 200m breaststroke and 200m freestyle and broke five personal bests times. He took poll positions in his 50m and 200m breastroke events, two seconds in the 100m and 200m IM, sixth in the 50m freestyle and seventh in the 200m freestyle.

Vicky Medlyn, 14 years, again swam fantastically, maintaining her winning form from the previous gala to win both the 50m and 100m butterfly events.

Michael Aylin, 12 years, displayed some impressive swimming, gaining club records in the 200m breaststoke and 200m freestyle and breaking four personal best times. He achieved a respectable ninth place in the 200m breastroke.

Matthew Webber, 11 years, swam well in both his breastroke events, finishing fourth in the 50m and a respectable seventh in the 200m, breaking personal best times in both events.

Other top ten finishers were Tom Aylin, 10 years, 200m freestyle, tenth place, John Radnor, 13 years, 50m freestyle, ninth and Amelia Allen, 11 years, 50m butterfly, tenth.

Further age group personal best times went to Elona Wonnacott 50m freestyle, Amelia Allen 50m butterfly,100m IM and 50m freestyle, Tom Aylin 200m freestyle, 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke, Charlotte Radnor 50m freestyle and 100m IM, John Radnor 50m freestyle and Kelly Holter 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle.

Kieran Mitchell and Rebecca Jarvis gave promising swims in their events.

Alex Wooldridge, who trains with the Otters Squad, also swam in the championships, gaining four second places, one third and two fourth places over the three days? competition.

Debbie Webber, club secretary, complimented the travelling supporters who gave up much if not all of their weekend to support the swimmers and offer poolside

encouragement.

Okehampton Otters Swimmers will be in action again this weekend with a friendly home gala against Honiton and Tavistock.

This will be the last competition before the swimmers take a welcome break for the holidays and the swimming club?s first three day residential trip to Millfield School later in August.

They will be travelling to Somerset for a weekend of swimming and fitness training made possible by an Awards For All Grant, the support of a donation from Okehampton and District Round Table and the swimmers? families.

l Following her success in the recent Devon Masters Championships in May, Okehampton Otters Masters swimmer Jackie Jarvis swam for Devon in an Inter-County event in Bridport last weekend.

Jackie, one of a number of recently joining masters swimmers, now training with Okehampton Otters, represents a rapid increase in interest in adult swimming.

Okehampton Otters now have around 25-plus masters swimmers and are running a separate masters session on Fridays from 8pm to 9pm. Any reasonably competent adult swimmer wishing to improve their stamina, fitness or basic stroke technique will be welcome to join.

For further information call club chairperson Kevin Jones on 01837 880140 or call at the pool during a club session.

Other enquires regarding the swimming club membership should be made to the membership secretary on 01837 840362.