At 38th Sri Lanka Schools Aquatic Meet:

Eleven meet records take the plunge

by Ranjan ANANDAPPA

Eleven meet records took the plunge at the 38th Sri Lanka Schools Aquatic Meet held by the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Association and sponsored by 'Milo' at the Ananda College Swimmning Pool yesterday.

In the boys under-14 free style Chadula Fernando of Royal College created a new record clocking 4.32.0 erasing the previous 4.37.44 set by W.K.S. Wickremarachchi in 2010. In the girls under-19 free style Methma Jayawardena of Museaus College clocked 5.9.40 sec. to better the previous timing of 5.19.0 set by Hansani Weeratunga in 2008. Devindya Jayawardena of Mahamaya College, Kandy re-established the existing girls under-11 free style record clocking 32.98 bettering the 33.01 set by Chathuri Abeykoon in year 2000.

Akalanka Pieris of St. Peter's College swimming in the boys under-11 50 meter free style had a timing of 30.65 to eclipse the previous 30.85 set by Chirantha de Silva in 2007. In the girls under-15 200m butterfly stroke Ridmio Rankothge of Museaus College had a timing of 2.50.06 going pass the previous 2.51.61 set by Sunethra Wijeratne. W.K.S. Wickremarachchi of Royal College swam the under-17, 200m butter fly stroke clocking 2.20.61 bettering the 2.22.09 set by G. Ranatunga in 1999.

In the under-19 girls 200m butter fly stroke final Heshani Madigasekera of Museaus College surpassed the previous 3.45.51 set by Hasini Kulatunga clocking 3.27.71.

Kaviska Fernando of Ladies College clocked 3.31.13 in the girls under-19, 200m butterfly stroke.

In the girls under-17, 50 m back stroke Gihara Amarasinghe of Southland BV clocked 33.95 to win the event creating a new record bettering Udara Cumaratunga's 34.69 in 2009. Praneeth Udumalagala of St. Joseph's College had a record breaking timing of 31.91 sec. in the boys under-19 breast stroke to surpass the previous timing of 31.94 sec. by Dinuka Thibbotumunuwe in 2010. In the girls under-17, 200m free style Ishani Erandika Senanayake of Samudra Devi BV had the timing of 2.25.25 bettering the previous 2.27.31 set by Hansani Weeratunga in 2007.

The meet will be continued today, the final day at the Ananda College Swimming Pool.