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CLEAN SWEEP: Katie Allen, Jo Puckett and Melissa Courtney

DORSET Pentathletes dominated the South West Regional Biathlon Championships - winning a total of 39 medals.

The event, held at Millfield School in Somerset, saw 61 of the county's finest claim 16 golds, 14 silvers and nine bronze medals.

And to put the icing on the cake a grand total of 46 individuals and 15 teams from the Dorset Pentathletes will be heading north this May having achieved qualification for the National Championships in Macclesfield, Cheshire.

Mick Flaherty, Dorset Pentathletes' coordinator and GB Biathle coach, said: "The success the Dorset Pentathletes have had is astounding and a real credit to the effort they put in. We will no doubt be the largest squad in the country going to the nationals and you can be sure we'll do our utmost to be the best too."

In Youth E boys, age ten and under, Hugh Ireland claimed individual silver with a fantastic 1,000m run and team gold with team-mates Jonathon Greenwood (third) and James Mules (fourth).

Youngsters Will Taylor (fifth), Harrison Yarnold (sixth) and Cameron Dabbs (seventh) captured team silver following good 50m swims. Novice Harry Buttle also took part and finished eighth.

In Youth E girls the two Dorset Pentathlete teams again qualified for the nationals with Imogen Slade (individual bronze), Jorgie Luke (fifth) and Aoife McCarthy (eighth) taking team gold and Elisha Webb (ninth), Margie Chitty (tenth) and Zoe Gowers claiming team silver.

Chloe Wakely (11th) did a particularly good swim and Katherine Wilkinson finished fourth as an individual to book her national place.

OUT IN FRONT: Hugh Ireland

Dorset swept the Youth D boys' category by taking the top six individual places.

Peter Thornton came first, followed by Tom Mules and Connor Aitken who all took team gold.

Oliver Cadman, Rhys Kirkpatrick and Sam Cracknell finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively to scoop team silver.

A grand total of 16 Dorset Pentathletes competed in the girls' 11/12 age category with the top two team places going to the county side.

Danielle Burry (second), Laura Chitty (third) and Bethan Whittall (fourth) captured team gold while Victoria Halford (fifth), Livie Freeman (sixth) and Amie Buttle (11th) earned team silver.

In addition Caitlin Maguire, Jennifer Scott, Tabitha Platt, Kathleen Rafferty, Abigail Julier, Lucie Fry, Sophie Dawe, Honor Slade and Claudia Spicer all fought hard in what was the most keenly contested age group.

In the Youth C boys' group Dorset once again took team gold and silver. Peter Horne claimed individual gold and together with James Rafferty (second) and Christopher Perham (fourth) won team gold while Alexander Hately (seventh), Matthew Fry (eighth) and Matthew Cracknell (ninth) were awarded silver.

Gracie Howie (second), Shelby Haysom (third) and Africa Mason (fourth) captured team gold with bronze going to Phoebe Notley (sixth), Bethany Letherby (12th) and Dervla Ireland (14th).

The Youth B boys' section saw Tom Crew achieve individual silver and team gold with Scott Civil (fourth) and Oscar Tweed (fifth).

A clean sweep from Melissa Courtney (first), Jo Puckett (second) and Katie Allen (third) saw them ease to gold in Youth B girls.

More Dorset gold arrived courtesy of Niall Laming in Youth A boys while Tom Cain and James Dawson, along with Laming, captured team gold.

Elsewhere, Chris Wilson finished at the front of the Junior Men's field while Nick Ireland (second), Mick Flaherty (third) and Andrew Whittall (fourth) claimed team gold in the Masters' category.

* Dorset Pentathletes are looking for a sponsor. Anyone interested can contact Mick Flaherty at flaherty121@aol.com

8:19am Wednesday 26th March 2008

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