Two of Bermuda?s best young swimmers emerged from the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii over the weekend with their heads held high after setting personal bests and breaking age group records.

Warwick Academy?s Nick Thompson and Rebecca Sharpe were never realistically expected to challenge for medals at the prestigious meet ? attended by some American swimmers who have already met the qualifying standard to compete in the US Olympic trials ? but were using the experience as preparation for the Island Games and the Carifta Games later in the year.

Last Friday, Thompson set a new personal best in the opening heats for the 100 metres freestyle with a time of 56.53 seconds, clipping eight tenths of a second from his previous best.

The following day, both Sharpe and Thompson swam the 200 metres backstroke event, with Thompson enjoying a particularly good swim in the heats to advance to the ?B? final where he finished seventh in a time of two minutes, 24.26 seconds.

And on Sunday, the Sharks Swim Club duo were entered in the 50 metres freestyle, with Sharpe finishing the meet in style with an excellent effort by taking 1.77 seconds off her previous best time.

Thompson swam the single length of the pool in 25.85 seconds ? shaving over one tenth of a second from his previous best.