Top honours went to Colchester Swimming Club at their Eighth Annual Open Meet as they lifted the Reg Baines Trophy as the winning club.

Colchester's senior girls, Susanna Davis, Catharine Hartley, Elizabeth Bellinger, Sarah Brennan and Kathleen Marks, squeezed out the opposition in almost every 100 metres race claiming the top four placings.

And they're off - swimmers get off to a good start in the boys' 100 metres backstroke in Colchester Swimming Club's annual open meeting. Picture: TERRY WEEDEN

Davis was in record-breaking form, claiming four first places and breaking three Open Meet records, the 100m breaststroke, backstroke and individual medley.

Rebecca Reader shone in the younger age group, winning four first places, the 50m backstroke, butterfly and freestyle and the 100m individual medley.

Men's captain Matthew Dowling swam a fantastic 53.90 seconds for 100m freestyle, setting a new club record.

He was also first in the 100m breaststroke and second in the 100m butterfly.

Ladies captain, Elizabeth Bellinger, won a very convincing 100m butterfly race and was also placed second in the 100m breaststroke.

The fast-improving Timothy Tripp provided Colchester with four second places the 50m freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and the 100m individual medley and was fifth in the 50m butterfly.

Ten-year-old twins Frazier and Karl Christie battled hard with each other and the opposition, with Frazier gaining two third places and three fourth places and Christie taking two fourth places and one sixth place.

The McNeil Intersport trophy for top girl was won by Braintree's Megan Costin, with Thurrock's James Mitchell taking the McNeil Intersport trophy for top boy.

Published Tuesday, June 3, 2003

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