POOLE’S Emily Clarke played a captain’s innings to win her first national open water medal near Sheffield.

The Dorset and south west champion recorded a time of one hour, six minutes and 55 seconds to win silver in the 19-and-over 5km race at the ASA National Open Water Festival.

But Poole coach Barry Alldrick said the club’s women’s skipper could do even better in the future.

He said: “By her own high standards, the time was slow. Emily knows she can improve by working on her sighting further."

Gold went to City of Birmingham’s Abby Smith in 1:05:04 and bronze to Chloe Pollard of East Grinstead (1:07.41).

Swim Bournemouth’s Alex Palotai-Avella joined Clarke on the podium at at Rother Valley Country Park after coming second in the 12yrs 1.5km race in 20 minutes, 43seconds.

Several other Dorset swimmers made the top 10.

Poole’s Thea O’Keefe was fifth in the 16yrs 3km, Miles Ward (Seagulls) claimed sixth in the 13yrs 1.5km, Poole men’s captain Ben Porter secured ninth in the 19-and-over 5km while 10th places went to Jess Kelleway (Poole) in the 13yrs 1.5km and Savannah Barman (Swim Bournemouth) in the 17-18yrs 5km.

Liam Openshaw (Poole) was 15th in the 13yrs 1.5km and Toby Kitchener (Swim Bournemouth) was 25th in the 16yrs 3km.

In the masters events, East Dorset Open Water SC’s Dave Pratten won silver in the 60-64yrs 3km, while Poole’s Maralyn Lewis was third in the women's event.

Poole’s Jacob Peters sliced more than a second off his Dorset senior and junior 50m backstroke records as he opened his medal account one day one of the British Summer Championships in Sheffield on Tuesday.

Peters, 15, clocked 26.59 to win the 16yrs heats and 26.64 to take bronze in the final.

Swim Bournemouth’s Jay Lelliott, swimming for Bath University, won silver in the 19-and-over 400m freestyle (3:50.14).

Swim Bournemouth boosted their hopes of regaining their Southern Junior League title after adding a second round win at Littledown.

The club, which lost the title to Plymouth Leander last year, will go into September’s final unbeaten after finishing 19 points ahead of Poole.

Drew McGregor and sisters Amy and Ellie Brown were all double winners while an individual win apiece went to Georgina Hawkins, Jamie Workman, Max Looker, Hermione Cull, Eva Hourigan, Milo Treloar and Nikas Kalininas. Swim Bournemouth also won 11 relays.

Poole won 11 individual events and seven relays with notable performances from Jacob Lane, Xavi West, Sam Russell, Robbie Hemmings and Ella McNamara.

Isaac Ellis was Seagulls’ only individual winner in the 11yrs 50m butterfly.

Result: 1 Swim Bournemouth A 347, 2 Poole 328, 3 West Dorset 220, 4 Seagulls 213, 5 Swim Bournemouth B 185, 6 Tornadoes of S Dorset 157, 7 Chard 147, 8 Weymouth 101.