FIONA Hardie claimed the scalp of a world junior champion as she led Dorset to the Division Two title at the National County Team Championships in Sheffield.

It’s the first time Dorset have won the title since the inter-county competition was first divided into two divisions in 1999. They were also promoted to Division One in 2000, 2006 and 2008 but from third, third and second places respectively.

Hardie, 17, got Dorset off to a flying start with victory in the very first event, the girls’ 16-17yrs 100m freestyle.

Her short-course time of 57.60 not only lowered the Poole club record but put her half-a-second ahead of Staffordshire’s runner-up Rachael Kelly, who became world junior champion in the 100m butterfly in Peru in August.

Kelly inevitably took revenge in the butterfly later with Leicestershire’s Sophie Smith, double gold medallist at the 2010 European Junior Champion-ships, second and Hardie third in 1:03.72, another club record.

Hardie ended the meet as successfully as she began it, leading off the 6x50m mixed cannon freestyle relay with a split of 27.00 from the gun.

Team-mates Jasmine Holmes (28.96), Alan Wong (26.22), Courtney Rowan (26.52), Dan Speers (24.41) and Jack Thorpe (24.55) completed the relay win.

These results were among five wins, five second places, five thirds and five fourths for Dorset in the 31-event gala, helping the county to an 18-point victory margin over nearest challengers Staffordshire.

Dorset were never out of the top three. They, Oxfordshire & North Bucks and Scotland North, who were third and fourth, will be in Division One next year.

Dorset’s other wins came from Poole’s Alan Wong in the 12-13yrs 100m backstroke in a club record time of 1:01.82, Tornadoes’ Jay Lelliott in the 16-17yrs 100m butterfly (57.41) and the boys’ 14-15yrs medley relay team of Thomas Mules (back 28.69), Jack Burton (breast 30.72), Todd Price (fly 27.67) and Dan Speers (free 24.80), who tied in first place with Warwickshire.

Lelliott also shaved 0.03sec off his Dorset senior record as he came second in the 100m backstroke in 58.10, while Wong was also third in the 100m butterfly in 1:04.48.

Other second places went to Burton (Swim Bournemouth) in the 14-15yrs 100m breaststroke in 1:07.72 and Poole’s Courtney Rowan in the 14-15yrs 100m freestyle (58.34), Maddy Kemp in the 12-13yrs 100m breaststroke in a club record 1:17.47 and girls’ captain Naomi Vides in the 16-17yrs 100m breaststroke (1:12.14).

Kemp was also fourth in the 100m butterfly (1:08.96).

Poole’s Dan Speers crashed through the 55-second barrier for the first time in an individual event to come third in the 14-15yrs 100m freestyle in a club record 53.47.

Jasmine Holmes added to the tally of Poole club records with her 1:02.01 for third place in the 12-13yrs 100m freestyle.

Also third was Thomas Mules (Tornadoes) in the 14-15yrs 100m backstroke (1:01.85) while Jack Simpkins (Swim Bournemouth) came fourth in the 12-13yrs 100m freestyle in 59.00.

Other individual top 10 placings: Todd Price (Poole) 7th 14-15yrs 100m butterfly 1:01.21; Ben Wickens (Swim Bournemouth) 8th 100m breaststroke 1:16.34; Jack Thorpe (Poole) 8th 16-17yrs 100m freestyle 54.32; Olivia Esposti (Swim Bournemouth) 16-17yrs 100m backstroke 1:08.09.

Division Two result: 1 Dorset 476, 2 Staffs 458, 3 Oxfordshire & N Bucks 430, 4 Scotland North 416, 5 Worcestershire 412, 6 Leicestershire 395, 7 Warwickshire 389, 8 Norfolk 382, 9 Devon 378, 10 Wiltshire 372, 11 Cumbria 370, 12 Cambridgeshire 362, 13 Gloucestershire 337, 14 Lincolnshire 324, 15 Shropshire 273, 16 Bedfordshire 243, 17 Northants 208, 18 Cornwall 176.