WEST Dorset Warriors closed their Southern Junior League campaign in 16th position following the final round at Bridport Leisure Centre.

Thirty-one clubs from six counties competed and only three other Dorset outfits bettered the Warriors’ overall placing – those being the Bournemouth Dolphins, Poole and Christchurch Seagulls.

Round one was held in Weston-super-Mare and after a long journey the Warriors were in the thick of it against two top Southern Counties swimming clubs from Bath and Yeovil.

Ethan Williams, for the 10-year-old boys, came out on top in a closely fought contest a record victory in the 50m backstroke.

And Scout McPherson celebrated winning the 50m freestyle for 10-year-old girls after coming second in a tight race in her more favoured 50m backstroke.

It was the first competitive gala for many of the junior swimmers and the Warriors looked to build on this experience for the next round at Swindon.

Charlie Hitchcock, in the 11-year-old boys’ 50m butterfly, and Beth Guy, for the 11 girls’ 50m breaststroke, both swam exceptionally well to triumph for the Warriors against stiff competition.

After two long trips for the previous galas, the Warriors were delighted to have home advantage in the third and final round at Bridport Leisure Centre.

Having learned from their past endeavours, the young swimmers showed growing confidence and, coupled with home advantage, were runners-up on the night to Bath Swimming Club.

The hosts won 15 of the 49 races and posted 28 personal best performances in the process to finish the Southern Junior League on a big high.

The 11-year-old quartet of Amber Cornick, Zoe Gowers, Georgia Bowes and Beth Guy won both the 4x25m freestyle and medley relays – a performance repeated by the 12-year-old quartet of Lucie Fry, Guy, Saxon Stableford and Charlotte Matthews.

In the 11-year-old girls’ individual 50m races, there were victories for Gowers (backstroke), Guy (butterfly) and Cornick (freestyle).

While for the 12-year-old girls, Fry (freestyle), Guy (breaststroke) and Stableford (backstroke) all sampled success.

The boys also rose to the occasion, with Hitchcock displaying his dominance in the 50m butterfly by capturing both the 11 years and 12 years’ races.

Joseph Stacey, in his first season of competitive action, swam at his best to take the nine-year-old boys’ 25m backstroke by the slenderest of margins.

Stepping up an age group to assist his older team-mates, Harry Buttle bagged the 12-year-old boys’ 50m backstroke, while Williams finished as he started by claiming the 10-year-old boys’ 50m backstroke.