THREE members of Crediton and District Swimming Club excelled at the British Gas ASA National Masters and Senior Age Group championships, held at Sheffield last month.

Masters swimmers usually produce their season bests, age group bests and even personal bests and so it was for Matt Hockin (five seasons bests), Darren Beer (three) and Emma Hockin (one).

Matt started the proceedings on the Friday afternoon swimming the 200m Freestyle (2:22.04) in his best time since moving up an age group. Darren competed in the evening session and swam the 200m Butterfly (2:36.80) to achieve silver, posting the second fastest time in the UK this year for his age group.

Early on the Saturday, Matt swam a very controlled and even 400m (5:06.48) Freestyle with a season’s best time.

Darren swam next in the 100m IM (1:09.86) missing his PB by 100th of a second. Emma was poorly so only swam one event over the weekend, the 50m Breaststroke on the Saturday afternoon and still conjured up the effort to swim a season’s best of 38.40.

This was followed by Matt and Darren swimming the 100m Butterfly. Matt swimming yet another age group best (1:15.99) and then topping this off by doing the same in the evening in the 100m Freestyle (1:02.46).

Darren finished the evening by swimming 200m Breaststroke (2:47.08) for another silver medal and second fastest ranked time in the UK.

The competition organisers made use of the hour gained by some to start the Sunday warm up at 7.15am with racing commencing at 8.30am and for Darren the 400m IM (5.25.25), which felt like swimming uphill for 16 lengths.

Matt had a better idea by swimming the splash and dash 50m Freestyle (27.74) in yet another age group best to finish a great weekend for him and his best swimming for a couple of years.

Darren is now putting in some hard training in preparation for the European Masters at the Olympic Pool in London next May.