DECLAN Callahan has been named as Poole SC's Swimmer of the Year for 2007.
It follows a year which has seen the 13-year-old make rapid progress in both pool swimming for Poole and open water competitions for his other club, East Dorset Open Water SC.
Callahan, who was presented with the Hamworthy Engineering Cup in the end-of-year awards, is known for his work ethic in both training and competition.
It's an attitude which has helped him to record personal best times almost every time he has competed during the year.
In some inter-club galas for Poole, he has often swum eight or nine events in two age groups.
Highlights of Callahan's year included age group golds over 1500m freestyle in both the Dorset Championships at Littledown and the county open water championships at Weymouth.
He also swam for Dorset in the national inter-county competition at Sheffield, teaming up with national medallists Joe Poynter and Jay Olenicz, and for Dorset Schools in the Division 12 regional finals in Southampton.
In open water, his programme included the national age group championships in Nottinghamshire and a 3km junior international at London's Royal Albert Dock.
Most recently, he was one of the stars of the Poole club championships at Rossmore, winning every event in his age group apart from the backstroke.
His 14 gold and three silver medals put him second in the medals table behind Ben Tucker, who won 17 golds.
Other leading medallists in the male events were Tom Watson with 10 golds and a silver, Carl O'Brien with seven golds, James Newbon with four gold, eight silver and three bronze and James Lambourne with four gold.
Becky Brown topped the girls' medals table with 12 gold and three silver ahead of Phoebe Notley (11 gold, three silver, one bronze), Kathleen Rafferty (11 gold, two bronze), Bryony Maple (eight gold, six silver, two bronze) and Sarah Meaker (seven gold).
Fifty men and boys and 58 women and girls competed in the 16 events - a total of 818 swims spread over seven sessions.
The swimmers' ages ranged from seven to 57.
The busiest event was the 50m freestyle, which attracted 49 female swimmers and 41 males.
Club president Gordon Smart presented the end-of-year awards at the final club championship session.
AWARD WINNERS
Guernsey-Poole Cup (star groups): Sarah Reynolds.
Alex Buckley Memorial Cup (under 12 boys): Ben Tucker.
Kemp Welch LC Trophy (under 12 girls): Rochelle Stott.
Hamworthy Engineering Cup (swimmer of the year): Declan Callahan.
Dolphin Packaging Cup (masters swimmer of the year): Rachael Potter.
George Cardwell Memorial Trophy (services to masters swimming): Wendy Hooper.
Two Dolphins Trophy (services to life-saving): Bryony Maple.
Services to Poole SC: Maralyn Lewis.
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