MINEHEAD Swimming Club Girls provided a fitting finale to the this years Rotary Club of Minehead and the Quantocks Swimathon.

Their team of Heidi Atkins, Tilly Phillips, Abi Gorton, Sam Milliship, Rhia Knowlson and Chessie Coleman lined up for the final hour of the event knowing they had to chase down a total of 187 lengths.

That target had been set on a previous evening by a West Somerset College team of students – Samir Abraham, Oliver Jones, Josh Heath, Joe Lintern, Ben Prescott and Daniel Vickers.

The girls settled into an early rhythm of 17 lengths every five minutes, which they maintained throughout and with an acceleration towards the end finished on 190 to win by three lengths.

In third place was another West Somerset College team, the Mermaids - Savanah Thompson, Liam Hoyle, Max Milliship, Emily Sutton, Ben Pye and Jack Waterman.

The event attracted 114 teams from local schools, the college, swimming clubs, sports clubs, youth clubs, businesses and surgeries.

Watchet Otters Swimming School entered the most teams – 15 in all.

Teams of six swimmers swim as many lengths in relay as they can of the 25-metre Butlins Splash pool in 55 minutes, with first schools do the same but for 40 minutes.

In the middle schools category, Barle and Exe tied in Minehead's years 5/6 age group, while Barle beat Horner by one length to retain the age 7/8 category.

For Danesfield, St Audries continued their remarkable record by winning the year 5/6 category for the seventh year in a row, and their year 7/8 team completed the double by recording an impressive 155 lengths.

For Dulverton Middle School, Exe came out on top for the first time since 2011.

Other adult category winners included 1st Alcombe Guides, Tony Pryce Sports, Williton Surgery, Minehead Youth Football Club, Dunster Graduates and West Somerset College Staff.

The closest competition was in the first school category, where jusrt two lengths separated the top four teams.

St Michael's team of Jake Thomas, Toby Newman, Leilani Bellamy, Chloe Bown, Gracie Jackson and Theoni Kane won the West Somerset Sports Council Shield for the first time in the 21 years that this age category has been contested.

Their 85 lengths was one more than last year's winners Dunster Dolphins (Rosie Webber, Lily Clark, Anna Wilmot, Iona Priddle, Ashleigh Hickman and Jed Noble).

Tying in third place on 83 lengths were Knights Templar Pythons and Old Cleeve Slippery Sharks.

Watchet Dolphins won the Best First School Swimming Club category with their Sealions team of Chloe Bown, Codie Holmes, Eve Rowe, Evie Holdsworth, Gracie Jackson and Martha Williams recording 96 lengths.

While the varouscategories add some fun and interest, the main purpose of the event is to raise money for charity through teams raising sponsorship, and over the previous 22 years more than £108,000 has been raised.

The charities for this year are Polio Plus in addition to local charities and local schools, whohave at least 50 per cent of the sponsorship money they raise returned to their school for their own projects.

It is too early to know how much has been raised this year but it is hoped it will at least match last year's total of £6,322.

The Rotary Club of Minehead and the Quantocks expressed thanks to Butlin's for allowing them to stage the event at their Splash pool and their staff for making everyone so welcome.

Thanks are went to the swimmers and all who sponsored them, event sponsors and all the helpers without whose support the swimathon would not have been possible.

It is intended to hold the 24th swimathon at a similar time next year and anyone wanting more information can visit the Minehead Rotary website at http://www.minehead.rotaryweb.org">www.minehead.rotaryweb.org.

The next sporting event for the club will be the Beacon to Beach Fun Run and Sponsored Walk on Sunday July12.

TROPHY AND AWARD WINNERS

Overall winners (Hawkes Shield) Minehead Swimming Club Girls, runners-up (Somerset County Gazette Cup) West Somerset College, third place (Bowden Cup) West Somerset College Little Mermaids.

Best Danesfield Middle School House Team - Years 5 and 6 (Jim Butterworth Shield) St Audries; Years 7 and 8 (Minehead Radio Cup) St Audries.

Best Minehead Middle School House Team - Years 5 and 6 (Rotary Shield) Barle and Exe (tied); Years 7 and 8 (Minehead Radio Cup) Barle.

Best Dulverton Middle School Team (Rotary Shield) Exe.

Best first school team (West Somerset Sports Council Shield) St Michael's Snappers, 2nd (Hilary Dubery Trophy) Dunster Dolphins, 3rd (Hilary Dubery Trophy) Knights Templar and Old Cleeve (tied).

Best first school team with no indoor pool (Jim Butterworth Trophy) Dunster, 2nd (Jim Butterworth Trophy) Old Cleeve, 3rd (Jim Butterworth Trophy) Minehead First School.

Best first school swimming club (Rotary Trophy) Watchet Dolphins Sealions.

Best youth club (Mann Trophy) 1st Alcombe Guides Team Nemo; best swimming club (Chanin and Thomas Trophy) Minehead Swimming Club Girls; best sports club (Tony Pryce Shield) Minehead Youth Football Club; best commercial team (Nat West Bank Trophy) Tony Pryce Sports; best other groups team (Phillips Trophy) Butlin's Splash; best healthcare team (Rotary Trophy) Williton Surgery Seniors; best school/ college staff team (Rotary Shield) West Somerset College; best school/ college PTA team (Rotary Shield) Dunster Graduates; youngest team (Rotary Trophy) Watchet Otters Tiddlers.

l Pictures show, from the top:

Overall winners Minehead Swimming Club Girls - from the left, Tilly Phillips, Sam Milliship, Heidi Atkins, Abi Gorton, Chessie Coleman, and Rhia Knowlson.

First school winners St Michael's Snappers - from the left, at the back, Toby Newman, Jake Thomas and Leilani Bellamy, and in front, Chloe Bown, Gracie Jackson and Theoni Kane.

First school runners-up - from the left, at the back, Anna Wilmot, Lily Clark and Rosie Webber, and in front, Iona Priddle, Ashleigh Hickman and Jed Noble.