TWO veterans and a rookie caught the eye as scores of youngsters battled for titles in Buntingford Swimming Club s annual championships. Sophie Robinson and Sam Grieg - who for several years have been among Buntingford s leading lights at galas - swept th

TWO veterans and a rookie caught the eye as scores of youngsters battled for titles in Buntingford Swimming Club's annual championships.

Sophie Robinson and Sam Grieg - who for several years have been among Buntingford's leading lights at galas - swept the board in the under-16 competitions.

At the other end of the scale, six-year-old Sophie Pedder became one of the youngest swimmers to feature in the championships - impressing with a 29-second swim in the girls' under-10 freestyle race.

There were also outstanding performances from Iona Hayes, who dominated the girls' under-10 competition and Tara Power, second in all five of the under-14 girls' events.

Coach Alan Bowell hopes that the success of Sophie and Iona will inspire other children to join the Buntingford ranks and allow the club to continue its recent success in the Hertforshire under-13 Peanuts League.

Swimmers will collect their trophies at a special awards night next month when the club celebrates its 30th anniversary.

- Six of Royston Swimming Club's best won a charity challenge at the weekend - and taught their teachers a lesson in the process.

Victoria Snowden, nine, Joe Walsh and Alex Snowden, both 11, Millie Farmer, 12, and Marie Walsh and Alice Hully, both 13, swam two-and-a-half miles - 150 lengths - between them in an hour at the Rotary Club of Royston 2006 Swimathon at Royston Leisure Centre.

They finished more than 10 lengths ahead of their nearest challengers and 23 lengths ahead of a team made up of Royston Swimming Club coaches Tricia Dear, Sharon Wright, Karen Hammond - plus the club's youngest member, eight-year-old Lilly Church.

The Royston racers beat off the challenges of more than 20 other teams - most of which included adults - during the two-day gala.

"They were magnificent," said Dear. "We simply couldn't compete with them - and neither could anyone else. And they got better as the swim went on. We're a bit embarrassed but very proud."

Dear had challenged Alex Snowden, Farmer, Walsh and Hully to attempt county championship 800 metre qualifying times during the swim. But the format of the event made the challenge impossible.

Nevertheless Dear hopes that all four youngsters will compete at the county championship meeting next year and has earmarked Victoria Snowden and Joe Walsh for the Hertfordshire development meeting at Borehamwood in November - the first step into the big leagues.