ALTON & District Swimming Club trained hard for the Hampshire County Championships, staged over two weekends at Waterlooville Sports Centre, and held their own against the big squads from the larger towns and cities of the county.

Such is the dedication of the club's swimmers that one young member, Patrick Clement, hurried back from the US and arrived at the event after a 17-hour journey, just in time to compete.

A series of Alton and Petersfield swimmers repeatedly left the pool as winners or in very high county positions.

In the 14yrs boys' 4 x 1 individual medley, John McHarg pulled out all the stops to set a personal best and win the event. Russell North and Sam Newland were fractions of a second behind to take third and fourth.

Peter Massey took the 11yrs individual medley, beating off fierce challenges from Locksheath, New Milton, Aldershot and Portsmouth. In the 10yrs event, Joseph Smith and Oliver Loughran set personal best times for 12th and 14th.

Petersfield's Emily Robbins powered to a personal best and 14th place in the 12yrs girls' individual medley, while Nicola Richards (pb) came eighth and Charlotte Fletcher 12th in the 13yrs event.

In the 10 and 11yrs individual medley finals, all four placed Alton swimmers set pb times, with Emily Cooper taking sixth, Sophie Douglas seventh and Rebekah Hayler 13th. Nichola Gordon-Jones was 13th in the 11 yrs.

The 13 and 14yrs 'A' team boys (Russell North, John McHarg, Sam Newland and Ben Flannaghan) were narrowly beaten into second place in the relay medley. The 9-12yrs 'A' team (Peter Massey, Ben Eagland, Joe Smith and Patrick Clement) came fourth in the 4 x 50m medley and sixth in the 4 x 50m freestyle.

The 13 and 14yrs girls 'A' team (Kelly Smith Nicola Richards, Amy Cobley and Charlotte Fletcher) came fifth in the medley and sixth in the freestyle.