Mahamaya and Joes swimming champions

Angu Rajendran

After three days of swimming in the cool climate of Kandy where the Senior Short Course Nationals was held at Hillwood College, Kandy from April 22 to 24, Mahamaya College and St Joseph’s College emerged womens’ and mens’ team winners with 305 points and 282.5 points respectively.

For the women, Visakha Vidyalaya with 231.5 points and St Bridget’s Convent with 112.5 points came in second and third. For the men Royal College with 215.5 and Sri Lanka Navy with 153 points came in second and third.

Overall men’s champion was obviously our South Asian Games gold medalist Heshan Unamboowe of Trinity College, Kandy with 25 points, with five golds and five new records. Heshan’s records were in 50m backstroke (27.19 secs), 100m backstroke (57.76 secs), 100m individual medley (1.00.20 secs), 200m Individual medley (2.10.75 secs) and 400m Individual medley (4.37.00 secs). In second place was Mathew Abeysinghe of AIS with 23 points, four golds and one silver with two records in 400m freestyle and 1500m freestyle.

In the women’s category Miniruwani Samarakoon was adjudged the champion with 23 points with four golds for the 50m, 100m and 400m butterfly (the butterfly being her pet event) and for the 200m Individual medley. She got a silver for the 400m Individual medley where she was beaten by Sunethra Ranatunga of Visakha Vidyalaya. Overall second place was Madhavi Weeratunga of Mahamaya College, Kandy.

According to SLAASU official Rodney, “the event went very smoothly with co-operation from all swimmers and officials and this is the fourth year in succession that this event was held in Kandy as swimmers from Kandy are proving to be extraordinary outstanding.”