Byram dominates at swimming competition

Vernon's Joe Byram collected three more medals on Sunday morning in Cranbrook,B.C., for a total of nine--seven gold, one silver and one bronze. His finalgold was won in the boys 1,500-metre freestyle--a tense race in which he andPatrick Graham from the Vancouver Island-Central Coast zone were evenly matcheduntil three-quarters through the race, when Graham pulled out due to breathing difficulties.

The silver medal, which he won as part of the boys 200-metre freestyle relay,was one that Byram had predicted the day before, when he quipped that he wouldlike a "patch of grey" to round out his medal winnings.Byram is part of the Thompson-Okanagan zone swim team, which took first placein the competition with a combined score of 2,306 points.