Firstly, Charlotte entered the 10 years 50m fly, where she performed well again to set a pb and club record of 46.64 seconds. This was not the only record she broke — there was also the 200m backstroke (3.25.00), finishing in fifth place and a long running record set in 1993 in the 50m free (36.91) where another podium place of third was the reward.
Charlotte's last event, the 4x25m IM was swum brilliantly, knocking 12 seconds off her previous best time. Unfortunately she was disqualified for moving on the block so the time did not stand. This time would have finished her in second place. The bad news was that this also wrecked her hard work in coming in the top five overall swimmers in her age group.
Elder sister Rebecca also performed to a high standard in the backstroke events — 50m (38.61) and 100m (1.22.09). They both turned out to be club records and pb swims, finishing in 13th and 10th places respectively.
The 50m freestyle event was again another pb swim erasing two seconds off an earlier time (34.36), finishing in 17th place. Breaststroke (50m) was next, this became the only swim where a pb did not arise. 15th place was gained.
Becky's last swim was outstanding in that an amazing seven seconds was smashed off her previous best to record a time of 1.25.04, to be placed in 11th position.
Backstroke specialist Johanna Cade swam in the 50m (36.61) and 100m (1.19.34). These swims again proved to be record-breaking ones with both replacing her own times from earlier in the year. In the 100m she showed that extra bit of determination to find those valuable tenths of a second to achieve the record and pb. Her finishing places of 12th in both events were improvements on last year.
The only male to attend this year's championships was 13-year-old Janik Jachnik. His main event is the breaststroke in which he has now achieved the accolade of becoming the highest placed boy in the club's history, by swimming to a club record and pb in the 50m. This knocked off almost two seconds to finish a creditable fourth in a time of 40.87.
In the 100m he swam narrowly outside his best to finish in sixth place, but still a good weekend to be proud of.
Female club captain Jenny Rice had a busy couple of days. She qualified for six events but could only swim in four of them.
In the 50m freestyle she achieved a goal by breaking under the 30 second barrier for the first time. Her time of 29.98 is a record in the 16 years age group. This gave her a placing of seventh. In the longer distance of 100m she banished three seconds away from her time to record a club record of 1.05.08.
Not yet finished she also achieved more by bettering her time in the 100m fly by 1.5 seconds with another club record and pb in 1.16.72 to finish in 10th place. Her last event of the 4x25m Im was once more a club record and pb in 1.15.78 to finish in ninth.
Coach Nigel West said this year's results surpassed last year's by a long way. 'I think we can say that we are no longer coming to these championships to make up the numbers: I would also have thought that the larger clubs from the main cities also noticed this vast improvement.'
With the experience of Pam Wade at the club taking the junior squad, assisting Nigel and the other coaches the club can look to the rest of the year to improve still further.
Also competing last weekend was Peter Erickson-Hull. He attended the national cerebral palsy junior championships at Nottingham.
Attending this meet in Peter's age group was Sydney Paralympian Matthew Walker. This must have inspired Peter to swim fast as he came away with a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke pb, a silver medal in the 100m breast, again a pb, and finally a pb in the 100m free.
Peter is helped with his swimming in Okehampton by Otters' coach Mr West.