Maharashtra was declared overall team champion as the curtains came down on the 27th sub-junior National aquatics championships at the BAC pool here on Thursday.
Viraj Prabhu (Group III) and Ritish Mavle (Group IV) of Maharashtra were the overall boys' champions while Sherlyn Meghna Devadason (Group III) and P.M. Abishiktha (Group IV) of Tamil Nadu, walked away with the girls' championships. Malemnganba Meitei of SSCB and Swati Vidap of Maharashtra were adjudged best divers in the boys' and girls' categories respectively.
The final day saw yet another record-breaking performance by Sherlyn Meghna Devadason, this time in the girls' 50m backstroke (Group III) with a time of 34.17s, making it four records in four events for her at these championships.
Although Devadason appeared to trail Damini Gowda of Karnataka at the beginning, she rapidly gained ground in the second half of the race, to finish just ahead.
Viraj Prabhu erased Aaron D'Souza's six year-old record in the boys' 100m freestyle (Group III) clocking 1:02.15s and comfortably defeating Md. Yaqoob Saleem of Karnataka, who surprised himself by finishing ahead of more fancied competition.
The host's only gold of the day was won by V. Malavika in the girls' 100m freestyle (Group III), who set a new record — 1:03.70s — in the process.
The overall standings at this year's meet are unchanged from those of the previous edition, with Maharashtra's dominance absolute.
The results:Boys: Group III: 100m freestyle: 1. Viraj Prabhu (Mah), 1:02.15, NMR , Old: Aaron D'Souza, Kar, 1:02.60; 2. Md. Yaqoob Saleem (Kar), 1:04.66; 3. P. Mukundhan (TN), 1:05.23.
50m backstroke: 1. P. Mukundhan (TN), 34.35; 2. Kerthan Balasubramanian (TN), 34.55; 3. Jason Smith (Mah), 34.83.
4 x 50m med. relay: 1. Maharashtra (Jason Smith, Viraj Prabhu, Vishwesh Dudham, Ishaan Mehra), 2:12.86, NMR , Old: West Bengal, 2:13.31; 2. Tamil Nadu (P. Mukundhan, Sumer Malhotra, N. Sriniram, Kerthan Balasubramanian), 2:14.62; 3. West Bengal (Kunal Basak, Deep Shaw, Avilash Chakraborty, Rishav Nath), 2:14.69.
Group IV: 100m freestyle: 1. Ritish Mavle (Mah), 1:10.28; 2. Siddharth Gada (Mah), 1:11.02; 3. S. Siva (Kar), 1:11.39.
50m breaststroke: 1. S. Danush (TN), 41.38; 2. Roshan Uday (Kar), 42.59; 3. Albin Alex (Mah), 43.85.
Girls:Group III: 100m freestyle: 1. V. Malavika (Kar), 1:03.70, NMR , Old: Pratima Kollali, Kar, 1:04.99; 2. Aakanksha Vora (Mah), 1:05.47; 3. Trisha Bhimani (Mah), 1:06.41.
50m backstroke: 1. Sherlyn Meghna Devadason (TN), 34.17, NMR , Old: Surabhi Tipre, Mah, 34.49; 2. Damini Gowda (Kar), 34.63; 3. Ashwathy Nair (Mah), 34.65.
4 x 50m med. relay: 1. Maharashtra (Ashwathy Nair, Monique Gandhi, Trisha Bhimani, Aakanksha Vora), 2:19.39, NMR , Old: Tamil Nadu, 2:21.76; 2. Karnataka (Damini Gowda, Deeksha Ramesh, Vishaka Bhat, V. Malavika), 2:22.64; 3. Tamil Nadu (Nivya Raja, A.V. Jayaveena, Sherlyn Meghna Devadason, M. Yuvashree), 2:22.96.
Group IV: 100m freestyle: 1. P.M. Abishiktha (TN), 1:13.91; 2. Deepali Bhalla (Guj), 1:14.34; 3. Vanshika Shah (Mah), 1:15.58.
50m breaststroke: 1. Aarya Rajguru (Mah), 43.54; 2. Manasi Herekar (Kar), 44.35; 3. Shagufta Khanam (Raj), 44.98.
Overall championship: Maharashtra (342 points)
Best swimmer: Boys: Group III: Viraj Prabhu (Mah); Group IV: Ritish Mavle (Mah).
Girls: Group III: Sherlyn Meghna Devadason (TN); Group IV: P.M. Abishiktha (TN).
Overall best swimmer(Senthil Memorial Trophy): Boys: Viraj Prabhu (Mah); Girls: Sherlyn Meghna Devadason (TN).
Best diver: Boys: Malemnganba Meitei (SSCB); Girls: Swati Vidap (Maharashtra).
