BLACKBURN Centurions Swimming Club kicked off this year’s competitive swim season with victory in the first round of the Micro League North West Championship.

The Division C first round took place at the club's home pool at Darwen Leisure Centre as they faced teams from Kirkham, Blackpool and Lytham.

The Centurions swimmers were in fine form and secured a comfortable 10-point win over nearest rivals Kirkham, with more than half of the races resulting in victories.

Blackburn’s 11-year-old boys won every single race they entered, resulting in a maximum 24 points.

The 10-year-old girls and nine-year-old boys only dropped one point, securing 23 points to boost the final tally to 148 points.

Many new personal best times were achieved, with a number of swimmers competing for the first time in an official meet and gaining fantastic experience Jamie Dodd, Micro League team manager ,said: “It was a fantastic day for all of our swimmers and coaching staff, the atmosphere was charged and so were the Centurions.

"Let’s hope for the same in the second round.”

Micro League is an ASA affiliated series of four swim meets designed for young swimmers aged between nine and 12, and is a fantastic way to gain valuable experience in competitive swimming but in a more relaxed environment.

Anyone interested in joining Blackburn Centurions or learning to swim can contact Blackburn and Darwen Swimming Development 01254 662619 or email swimming.development@blackburn.gov.uk.