Jack Daines wins at AquaKnights Tri Series swimming event

Tauranga swimmer Jack Daines is in career best form. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Jack Daines has been making waves at competitive swim meets.

The 15-year-old from Liz van Welie Aquatics Swim Club in Pyes Pa was selected with the best young swimmers from Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Hawke's Bay and the wider central North Island at the AquaKnights Tri Series held earlier this month.

Swimmers were arranged into three teams and raced against each other over three days, creating a festival of swimming at a higher performing level.

Daines' performances were the best of all the swimmers competing. On day one in Tauranga he finished first in six events, day two in Rotorua he again won all six races and on day three in Taupo he won all five races he entered.

Not surprisingly he was named swimmer of the meet.

"We are very proud of Jack," coach Daniel Cooper said.

"It's just rewards for the work this young man does. People don't see the work he puts in strength and conditioning. Jack is a young man going places — he has a great attitude, puts his head down and gets on with it."

Daines comes from a farming background in Te Aroha and was swimming there before Cooper was appointed as the coach at Liz van Welie Aquatics. Daines and teammate Corey Hirst, who was named Swimmer of the Tri-Series in 2016, both made the move to Tauranga to continue their swimming development with Cooper and attend school.

Daines loves his new set-up and is thriving in the superior training facilities.

"In winter we travelled to Thames for training but in October we trained in Te Aroha in an outdoor unheated pool. Some days we would train and it would be 16 degrees out of the water and 16 degrees in the water — it was freezing. Training wouldn't last long those days," he said.

"Now I train in a new indoor pool. It's always warm and we have underfloor heating so there's no excuses. I'm loving the strength and conditioning work we do as well. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't really tough some days but I'm stoked with my results."

Daines has taken a well earned rest over the Christmas week before retuning to training with the club before heading to Gisborne for a training camp in the 50m outdoor pool.

Coach Cooper is excited about the talent that is emerging with a group of young swimmers performing well at junior level.