DORSET’S masters team matched their best-ever result when they finished 10th out of 30 English counties in the ASA national inter-county masters event.

The team, drawn from nine Dorset clubs, also finished second behind Devon in the South West round at Millfield.

The competition is held in regional rounds with the results from all 68 events going into a computer to produce a national ‘virtual’ gala result.

Devon came second in the national competition with another of Dorset’s neighbours, Hampshire, third.

Individual winners for Dorset in the national event were Wareham’s Hannah Wiltshire in the 25 and over 50m breaststroke (35.36) and Poole’s Nic Vaughan in the men’s 45/o 50m freestyle (26.16).

Second places went to Poole’s Jean Howard-Jones in the 65/o 50m freestyle (35.48), Keith Tyler in the 35/o 50m backstroke (29.23) and masters debutant Naomi Vides in the 18-24yrs 50m breast-stroke (34.89), and the women’s 100yrs 4x50m medley relay team of Hannah Lang-down, Wiltshire, Jenn Penny and Vides.

Seventy-year-old Howard-Jones also set South West masters records for the 70-74yrs 50m freestyle, butterfly (40.48) and breaststroke (51.60).

Regional records also fell to Tyler (35-39yrs back), Vides (18- 24yrs breast), Wiltshire (25-29yrs breast), Vaughan (45-49yrs fly 28.83) and Weyport’s Linda Ashmore (65-69yrs 50m freestyle 35.95).

Meanwhile, Poole’s Karen Yendole has been confirmed as the first Dorset swimmer to set a South West masters record.

She recorded a short-course time of 1:26.49 in the 30-34yrs 100m breaststroke at the South West Masters Championships, held at Millfield on the day regional masters records were introduced.

National inter-county result: 1 Warwicks 1699.5, 2 Devon 1605.5, 3 Hants 1604, 4 Yorks 1574, 5 Middlesex 1488.5, 6 Cheshire 1420, 7 Sussex 1416, 8 Herts 1236, 9 Essex 1231, 10 Dorset 1169.5, 11 Worcs 1127.5, 12 Wilts 1119, 13 Gloucs 1096.5, 14 Northumberland & Durham 1082, 15 Kent 1079, 16 Norfolk 1038, 17 Berks & S Bucks 1002.5, 18 Beds 991.5, 19 Surrey 930, 20 Northants 880, 21 Derbyshire 790.5, 22 Leics 775.5, 23 Somerset 699.5, 24 Notts 688, 25 Suffolk 678, 26 Cumbria 663.5, 27 Oxon & N Bucks 636.5, 28 Staffs 509, 29 Lincs 442, 30 Lancs 353.51.