POOLE SC are the age group champions of the South West following a second golden weekend in the regional championships at Millfield.

The club’s youngsters added another 26 medals, including 10 golds, to extend their already substantial lead at the top the medals table.

By the end of the four days of competition, Poole had amassed a grand total of 45 medals – 20 gold, 16 silver and nine bronze.

Although 24 other clubs managed to get on to the medals table, not one came anywhere near challenging Poole.

Nearest contenders Taunton Deane with 12 gold medals and 28 in all.

Plymouth Leander, one of the top clubs in Britain, were second to Poole in terms of medals overall with 37 but only nine of theirs were gold.

Poole’s rise from also-rans to the top age group club in the six South Western counties has been meteoric.

In June 2008, two months after coach Robin Armayan’s arrival, the club had just three swimmers at the regional age groups and won no medals.

They won a single silver medal in 2009, nine medals in 2010 and 45 this year when 21 swimmers took part.

In addition Poole have gone from having no qualifiers for the national age and youth championships in 2008 or 2009 to three in 2010 and 13 this year, including nine individual qualifiers and three relay teams.

.“I’m really pleased – it’s a massive achievement,” said Armayan. “When I started in 2008, my target was to make Poole the top age group club in the West by 2012. Considering where we were, that seemed very difficult. But it’s happened a year early.”

He added: “There’s a great team spirit. Some swimmers who were not competing came to Millfield to warm-up with us and support their friends.”

Alan Wong added four golds to Poole’s tally as he won the 13yrs 200m backstroke (2:21.68), 200m freestyle (2:08.86), 200m individual medley (2:23.16) and 100m butterfly (1:05.22).

Harry Kemp won gold in the 11yrs 200m and 400m medley in 2:41.80 and 5:39.35 and silver in the 200m backstroke and freestyle (2:40.28 and 2:22.77).

Jacob Peters led home Lewis Harding for a Poole one-two in the 10yrs 200m backstroke (2:44.16 and 2:49.77).

Peters also came second in the 200 and 400m medley (3:00.18 and 6:10.68) and 100m butterfly (1:19.21) and third in the 200m freestyle (2:33.52) behind Harding’s gold-winning 2:31.94.

Harding also won bronze in the 200m medley (3:00.22).

Emily Clarke joined the gold trail with an 11-second PB in the 13yrs 800m freestyle (9:49.24).

Dan Speers led another Poole one-two as he and Todd Price took gold and silver in the 14yrs 200m freestyle in 2:02.63 and 2:03.46. Price was also second in the 400m medley (4:54.90) and Speers third in the 200m medley (2:19.46).

Maddy Kemp gave herself an early present for her 13th birthday this week as she recorded her first national qualifying time (NQT) with a silver-winning 1:10.44 in the 12yrs 100m butterfly. She also won silver in the 100m breaststroke (1:20.51).

Between them Speers, Price, Wong, Noah Vides and Harry and Maddy Kemp recorded 14 NQTs during the final weekend.

Bronze medals went to Kelvin Wong in the 10yrs 100m breaststroke (1:36.52) and Bradley Currie in the 12yrs 1500m freestyle (19:32.15).

Three wins from Christian Tai took Christchurch Seagulls’ tally to five gold, four silver and five bronze – a record which saw them rubbing shoulders with major squads such as Plymouth, Kelly College and Milllfield in the upper reaches of the medals table.

Tai won the 10yrs 200 and 400m medley in 2:55.38 and 6:10.68 and the 100m butterfly in 1:18 and silver in the 100m breaststroke in 1:36.15.

Andrew Botros added to his national times as he won silver in the 12yrs 200m freestyle (2:17.21) and 100m butterfly (1:09.00) and bronze in the 200m medley (2:36.89).

Zoe Gannaway, 10, achieved three more top eight finishes including fourth in the 200m medley and seventh in the 200m freestyle.

Other Poole finalists: Georga Harrison 4th 200m free, 5th 100m fly, 8th 100m back. Daniel Monk 7th 200m back. Kiran Olenicz 8th 200m back. Kelvin Wong 7th 200m back. Jessica Richens 4th 200m medley, 4th 100m breast. Maddy Kemp 6th 200m medley. Todd Price 4th 200m medley, 6th 100m fly. Noah Vides (representing his old club Swim Bournnemouth) 4th 100m breast, 8th 200m medley. Alex Price 5th 100m breast. Dan Speers 5th 100m breast.