DROITWICH Dolphins started the new swimming season in excellent form securing second place in the first round of the Worcester Winter League last week.

In all, the swimmers took either first or second place in half of the events including all the team relays.

Jo Hobbis was in outstanding form to easily win the Mens Open 100m backstroke setting a New Club record in the progress with a time of 1min 05.72sec. Club Captains Steve Snape and Rachel Roberts were both again clear winners in their respective Open 100m breaststroke events with Rachel also going onto win the 100m butterfly.

In the girls 11 years and under age groups there were first places for Lauren Hall-Annison in the 50m backstroke and butterfly, Emma Houlston 50m freestyle and Sophie Jenkins in the 50m breaststroke.

The 13-under mixed relay team of Fiona Watt, Natalie Blakemore, Fizz Hunter, Euan Mc Guiness, David Fisher and Sean Storey were winners of both the medley and freestyle events. In the individual events Watt was first in the girls 100m freestyle and second in the butterfly and Fisher was first in the boys freestyle and second in the backstroke.

The final event was the climax of the evening and had Droitwich home supporters out of the seats to cheer the Open mixed freestyle relay team of Roberts, Watt, Alex Dunn, Snape, Adrian Rose and Sam Fowles, to victory over Wyre Forest who were the ultimate victors of the evening. Brian McGuiness, coaching director was clearly delighted with the impressive start to the 2004 season.