Sunday, day two of the Telkom South African Age Group Championships currently underway at the Stadium Pool in Bloemfontien saw a further three national marks take a dive in what has turned out to be a pulsating meet. As expected these were in the sprint items with Ashley Oliver (Strand - WP), Liza-Marie Retief (Dolphins - CGA) and Lauren Sparg (Mr. Price Seagulls - KZN) taking the honors.

In the Mens'12 year olds 100m Breaststroke, Ashley K Oliver (Strand - WP) set a new age group record of 1:15.59, .21 seconds faster than the previous record set by Zach de Beer. Enzo Iannone (Bloemfontien Seals -FS) finished second to better the meet record in a time of 1.16.90.

The diminutive fourteen-year-old Gauteng flyer, Liza-Marie Retief (Dolphins - CGA) continues to do coach Dean Price proud. The cheerful Retief, who has one of the most beautiful and graceful butterfly strokes in the country at the moment, has drawn from the experience of training partner, Olympian Mandy Loots, and her progression over the past three seasons has been something to behold. She slashed a massive, 41 seconds off her national 50m butterfly mark that she established at the CGA Champs in December. Her time of 28.73 puts her right up there with the best sprinters in the country.

Lauren Sparg (Mr. Price Seagulls - KZ) set a new age group record in the women's' 16 year old 50m Butterfly in a time of 29.03, .02 seconds faster than the previous record set by Candice Nethercott in 1996

Once again Melissa Corfe (Mr. Price Seagulls - KZN) continued her winning ways in the girls aged 15 age group. She triumphed in the 100m freestyle dipping under the magical minute when she posted a respectable 59.77 a tad off teammate Donna Leslie's mark of 58.65 set in 1997.

In the girls 17-18 100m freestyle it was Jadine Louw who turned the tables on teammate Marizanne Grundlingh when she won comfortably (59.89 /1:00.18) with local; lass May van Schalkwyk picking up the bronze in 1:01.37.

In the boys event, Lyndon Ferns (Pietersburg Aquatic Club - NP) missed out on the age group record for 100m Freestyle .04 seconds. He touched in a time of 53.24 slightly off Adriaan du Plessis national mark established last year. Nicholas Tozer (Mustangs - CGA) collected the silver in 53.46 while Sarel Lumprecht (Bloemfontien Seals - FS) had to settle for the bronze in a time of 54.41.

Ferns who has put personal tragedy aside, has come along extremely well during the last couple of years and already served notice to all contenders at the recent Central Gauteng Open Championships where he dominated the freestyle and butterfly sprint events. Always highly competitive, ever since he was two bricks and a ticky high, this correspondent rates him highly and much will be expected of this young man in the future.

The final of the girls 10 and unbder 100m breastroke saw a familiar local name appear on the winner's rostrum. The diminutive Jean-Marie Neethling (Otters - FS), sister of South Africa's superstar, Ryk Neethling won her first National title when she stole the thunder from the outside to win convincingly and establish a new meet record. Neethlings time of 1:27.66 was a tad off another local lass, Tanya Oosthuizens' national mark of 1:23.75 which was set in 1990.

The girls aged 16 100m-breastroke final was an electrifying affair. With the lead changing hands a number of times it was Ziada Jardine (1:14.78) from Vinyards in Cape Town who outstretched her teammate Natalie Burke (1:15.47) and eventual winner of the silver medal, Tamaryn Laubscher (Rridge Seals Aquatics - NT) (1:14.99) in an event that pitted the countries best juniors together.

Nicola Ogilvie won the girls 17-18 final from Pitermaritzburg Seals in a time of 1:17.34, with Janine Payne (Ellis Park - CGA)(1:18.38) and Verona Swartz (Otters - FS) (1:19.08) taking the minor placing.

Kings Park's Jonathan Dickenson (1:06.58) took the honors in the boys 17-18 event winning convincingly from Kurt Muller (Bloemfontien Seals) (1:07.40) and Grant Galant (Retreat - WP) (1:08.92).

The rivalry between Vineyards teammates Grundlingh and Louw continued in the 400m Individual Medley when Marizaane got the better of Jadine and Candice Little (Mustangs - CGA) when she won the event comfortably in a time of 5:04.76 just off Natalie du Toits' 1999 mark of 5:03.65.

The boys 17-18 event saw the likeable Stuart Rogers (Dolphins - CGA) claim the title in convincing fashion when he posted a respectable time of 4:45.78 to retain his title won in 2000. His time however was way off his record of 4:40.93, which was posted at sea level. Fellow provincial teammates Nicholas Pretorius (Mustangs - CGA) (4:48.15) and Dustin Dale (Dolphins-CGA)(4:52.53) ensured that all the silverware returned to Gauteng.

The girls 17-18 50m butterfly was won by Samatha Jones (Pietermaritzburg Seals - KZN) (30.51) from Kerry Bailey (Southern Dolphins-CGA) (30.87) and teammate Robyn Cech (31.13). The boy's event was a closely contested affair with Stephen Ackermann (Ridge Seals Aquatics - NT) (26.03) taking the honors from Kurt Muller (Bloemfontien Seals - FS) (26.28) and the explosive Lynden Ferns (Pieterburg - NP) (26.63).