TBC rule the swimming pool in Hamilton

CHAMPIONS: The Tauranga Boys' national champion swim team. Photo/Supplied

Tauranga Boys' College swimmers enjoyed plenty of success at the 2017 New Zealand Secondary School Championship held from September 15-17 in Hamilton.

There were 583 competitors from 147 secondary schools around the country, so there was fierce competition for individual and the coveted top boys' school honours.

Tauranga Boys' swimmers were led by Tarquin Magner, who won six gold, one silver and two bronze medals in the 13-year-old age group. Louis Fitzjohn, with four gold and two silver medals, was the other outstanding swimmer in this age group.

Tristan Eiselen won five gold and two bronze medals in the 14-year-old age group, winning his specialist butterfly events in style. Others who medalled in this age group were Daniel Shanahan (one gold, three silver and one bronze), Travis Hudson (one gold and two silver medals in breaststroke) and Matthew Wagstaff (silver medal in the 200m butterfly).

The four swimmers combined to win two gold medals in the 200m freestyle relay and 200m medley relay, where they set an unofficial meet record 1:56.61.

The rest of the team swam well and contributed points with their top 8 placings, with many swimming personal best times. Several of the boys also recorded top 10 placings, which was an impressive showing.

This meant that all swimmers had the opportunity to contribute points to the team, and the final results showed this. The format of this championship is a superseded time trial, where the fastest times from each age group swim in one race, while the rest of the competitors race against other swimmers whose times are comparable, regardless of age.

Tauranga Boys' College won the Boys' School event, scoring an impressive 860 points to beat St Andrew's College, Christchurch, on 666 and the 2015, 2016 champs, Westlake Boys' High School, on 573 points.

Team captain Liam Brown in his final swim meet was full of praise for his team.

"The boys just went out there and swum for each other. We knew we had the team to do well and we just wanted to prove it to ourselves."

The Tauranga Boys' College swim team was well represented by local swim clubs Otumoetai, Greerton and Mount Maunganui.

Tauranga Boys' College national secondary school swim champions:
Liam Brown (captain), Declan Dempster, Daniel Shanahan, Matthew Wagstaff, Aidan Heath, Travis Hudson, Joseph Cook, Ben Paterson, Tarquin Magner, Tristan Eiselen, Louis Fitzjohn, Sam Jones, Jacob Browne.