THE final events of this year?s Devon Championships were completed last weekend in Plymouth. Yet again Okehampton Otters were proud to be able to send a further six swimmers to the event.
This year the Otters have had a record number of swimmers qualify for this annual county event. Nine qualified to swim in 30 events over the three weekends, coming away with five Western Counties qualifying times, 12 personal bests smashed, 15 club age group records established and three club records broken.
In the final BAGCAT tables three Otters swimmers finished in top ten places. Twelve-year-old Matthew Westlake finished eighth, Jenny Rice seventh and Rebecca Rowe tenth.
For this final weekend of competition five swimmers competed. Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Rowe swam her 200m freestyle in 2:28.54, setting a new personal best and Otters age group record. Charlotte finished eleventh in age group.
Jenny Rice, swimming in the same event in the women?s 17 years and over, finished fourth in her age group and 16th in the open competition in a time of 2:17.56. Jenny also set a new personal best, Otters age group and club record.
Jenny was also in action in the 50m freestyle and 100m IM, finishing seventh and sixth respectively and 14th and eleventh respectively in the open event. Her times of 50m freestyle 29.19 and 100m IM 1:11.64 both set new Otters age group records. Jenny?s freestyle time also qualifies her for Western Counties events.
Rebecca Rowe competed in the girls? 14 years 50m freestyle, 100m IM and 200m backstroke. Rebecca achieved ninth position in freestyle, eighth in individual medley and ninth in backstroke in her age group. Rebecca?s IM time of 1:19.95 was a new personal best performance.
In the 200m backstroke her time of 2:43.61 broke Rebecca?s own best time, established a new Otters age group record and also set a new club record time for this event.
The Otters had two swimmers qualify for the 100m breastroke event, Holly Dennis finishing eleventh overall in the women?s 17 years and over and Vicky Medlyn in the girls? 14 years, finishing eighth in age group. Vicky?s time of 1:25.77 set a new Otters age group record.