Back row left to right: Amy Lowans, Isobel Pettit, Eva Morris, Jazzlee Thomas, Eden Worsley, Maya Lowans, Zyleika Smith, front row left to right: Talitha McEwan, Karlina Steiner. Photo/supplied
Back row left to right: Amy Lowans, Isobel Pettit, Eva Morris, Jazzlee Thomas, Eden Worsley, Maya Lowans, Zyleika Smith, front row left to right: Talitha McEwan, Karlina Steiner. Photo/supplied
Tauranga Synchro packed a small but mighty punch at the Synchronised Swimming National Championships in Dunedin last weekend.
The team was smaller than normal with the beginner Dolphin team choosing to continue training for next year's nationals instead.
The team may have been small, but they returned with some veryhappy athletes, bringing home a pile of trophies and medals - picking up 10 national and school titles of 15 events entered.
Most of the national titles were retained from last year - the most exciting one being gold again for the Team Combination (Amy Lowans, Eden Worsley, Eva Morris, Isobel Pettit, Karlina Steiner, Jazzlee Thomas, Maya Lowans and Zyleika Smith, with Talitha McEwan as the reserve).
With Eva, Jazzlee and Amy having only just returned from representing New Zealand at the World Championships in Russia, hours of focused training was needed to integrate them back into the team.
"Last year we took gold for the first time ever at a national level in this team combination event.
To be able to confirm this performance this year again is special and I am really proud of the girls' teamwork and commitment. It has a huge impact on the club as Tauranga Synchro has now qualified its team to represent New Zealand at Oceania 2016 in Fiji," says coach Julieta Diaz.
Maya Lowans kept hold of all her national titles in the 12 and under category from 2014- first in figures, solo and with partner Zyleika Pratt-Smith, first in the duet.
Karlina Steiner competed strongly in her solo performances-placing first in intermediate schools and second in the 12 and under category.
In the 15 and under category, Eden Worsley placed second in solo, and teamed up with duet partner Isobel Pettit to place first in the duet, and second in the secondary schools duet competition.
In the junior category, Eva Morris and Jazzlee Thomas held on to their national title for their junior duet, with Eva also placing second in figures and Jazzlee third. The youngest member of the group, Talitha McEwan (9), gave the first performance of her solo to The Eye of the Tiger at a national level placing sixth in the interschool solo.
The age group teams also held on to their wins from last year, the 12 and under team (Karlina Steiner, Maya Lowans, Talitha McEwan and Zyleika Smith) and the 15 and under team both winning gold.
"Two years ago we made the decision to focus on teams as our main goal for the club, which is now really paying off with these results," says Julieta.
With two coaches hailing from South America - Julieta from Argentina and new coach Suzanne Ribiero from Brazil - the routines have a positive and energetic flavour that has strong appeal to the judges.
