Seahorses Club dominated the national junior swimming championship held in Eldoret over the weekend.
Peter Mwangangi's charges achieved remarkable times among them the nine-year-old Melissa Alala, who posted a new championship record of 39.60 seconds in the 50m butterfly to win the race.
.The Machakos-based club finished with 1200 points with Torpedo Club finishing second with 900 points. Swift Club took the third position with 850 points.
Melissa’s teammate, Aisha Hassan from Lake Victoria Sports Club, Tanzania, also delivered a stellar performance in the 50m breaststroke, where she posted 44.14 seconds.
In the boys' category, Nagib Juma from Mombasa Aquatics stunned the competition with a 20.00-second finish in the 25m butterfly, solidifying his place as one of the fastest young swimmers in his age group.
Another standout was Jason Mwanzia from Fithub Aquatics, who took first place in the 50m butterfly for the nine-year-olds, finishing in 44.49 seconds.
Bandari Club also had a standout presence at the event, particularly in the younger age categories. Mariana Machocho, aged 8, was a star for Bandari, securing first place in the 100m individual medley in 1:38.47.
Mariana continued her impressive run by winning the 25m breaststroke in a time of 23.77 seconds and placed second in the 25m butterfly, clocking in at 18.72 seconds.
The event marked a significant change in the landscape of Kenyan swimming, as regional clubs outside Nairobi and Mombasa are beginning to assert their dominance.
Kenya Aquatics (KA) Secretary General Collins Marigiri praised the organisation and the competitive spirit displayed by all participants.
"We appreciate the overwhelming support from stakeholders for this junior swimming championship. "This is the first national event in Uasin Gishu and we are thrilled by the turnout.
"Our next focus is the national championship in Mombasa, which will serve as a qualifier for the Africa Aquatics Zone 3 Swimming Championship in Burundi this November.
"We are determined to field a strong team to compete for the overall title and provide our swimmers with international exposure," he said.
The competition saw participation from across Kenya with swimmers drawn from Homa Bay, Kilifi, and Laikipia, as well as entrants from Tanzania.