SWIM Bournemouth have the National Arena League’s national finals in their sights after storming to victory in their second round gala – and claiming mighty Millfield among their scalps.

The team finished three points ahead of Millfield, who were national champions in 2005 and were fifth in the national final earlier this year.

It is only the second time a Dorset club has beaten the Street-based squad, whose swimming scholarships and 50m pool attract swimmers from across the country and abroad.

The first time was in 2008, when a Bournemouth Dolphins team coached by Graham Bassi finished two points ahead of them in the West final and earned a trip to the national A final.

Swim Bournemouth head coach Emma Richards said of the latest win: “It was a fantastic perfor-mance – we finished in the top three in 41 of the 50 races.

“To be up there with the big fish like Millfield shows how far Swim Bournemouth have come in three years.”

Bournemouth go into next month’s West Premier Division final well placed to challenge for one of the 20 places in the national finals at Cardiff in April.

Jay Lelliott, Harriet Perfect, Matt Collins and Jemma Green were all double winners for Bournemouth.

Lelliott set his 23rd Dorset record since joining Swim Bournemouth last year as he won the men’s 100m butterfly in 55.30. He also won the 100m backstroke in 56.57.

Perfect – racing against her old club Seagulls for the first time – won the 100m backstroke in two age groups, 13/u and 15/u, in almost identical times 1:07.74 and 1:07.76.

Collins and Green achieved a ‘double double’, Collins winning the boys’ 13/u butterfly and freestyle, with Green taking the equivalent girls’ events.

Bournemouth’s 16 winners also included Ellie Kerslake in the women’s 100m backstroke, 11/u 50m breaststrokers Abbie Quarrie and Alex Bryant, and Jack Simp-kins in the 15/u 100m freestyle.

Bournemouth also won four relays – the 11/u boys’ medley, 13/u girls’ medley and freestyle and boys’ 15yrs freestyle.

Fifth place for Seagulls for the second year running has boosted their chances of securing a third season in the Premier Division.

Wins proved elusive but there were second places from Zoe Gan-naway in the 13/u 100m butterfly and freestyle, Jacob O’Hara in the 11/u 50m butterfly, Jack Arnell in the 13/u 100m backstroke and the 11/u boys’ freestyle team.

Head coach Barry Alldrick said: “Five club records and 24 PBs shows a solid team performance and improvement from the first round.”

Bournemouth’s and Seagulls’ opponents at Weston included Bournemouth Collegiate School’s former Seagulls Beth and Zak Aitchison, who respectively won the women’s 100m breaststroke and boys’ 15/u breaststroke and freestyle for Yeovil, and Poole’s Dan Speers, winner of the men’s 100m freestyle for Millfield.

Result: 1 Swim Bournemouth 235, 2 Millfield 232, 3 Yeovil 188, 4 Soundwell 180, 5 Seagulls 129, 6 N Abbot 83.

  •  Seagulls’ B team look secure in their Division Two status after a second consecutive fourth place, also at Weston’s Hutton Moor pool.

Individual winners were Jasmine Glyde in the 15/u 100m fly and 11/u swimmers Toby Whittlesea and Zac Cloete in the 50m backstroke and fly respectively. They also won both girls’ 13/u relays and the 11/u boys’ medley relay.

Result: 1 Chard 238, 2 West Dorset Warriors 192, 3 Caradon 180, 4 Seagulls B 159, 5 Lydney & Cinderford 148, 6 Barry 129.