Swimming: Greerton impress in big medal haul

Marijke Hattingh was Greerton's top club female point scorer at the Wellington Summer Championships.

The Greerton Swim club sent a team of 13 swimmers on a successful raid of the Wellington Summer Championships over the weekend.

Held in the same 50m pool as the upcoming NZ Age Group Champs this meet always provides a valuable dress rehearsal and form test.

There were plenty of highlights with the depth of the team such that nine swimmers won medals among very competitive racing. As expected Nathan Capp dominated the long-distance freestyle events as well as the 400m medley.

After a huge medal haul in the Victorian Age Group Champs before Christmas, Lochlainn O'Connor, 15, was also expected to podium which he duly did seven times.

His highlight was following in Capp's footsteps to take out the 400m medley after a series of silvers and bronzes. More of a surprise was Cai Jager, 15, stepping out of the shadows of his successful teammate to take out the splash and dash 50m in a personal best of 25.45 seconds.

Also proving himself to be the fastest sprinter in the lower North Island was Connor Farrell in winning the 13 boys 50m freestyle in 27.60 seconds.

Farrell also won medals in five other events and made a number of other finals.

The female contingent were also making waves.

The return of Marijke Hattingh, 14, to the winners circle after struggling with health issues was most welcome.

She decisively won the 100m backstroke in a slick 1:09.96 and medalled in the 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 200m backstroke.

Chasing her in a number of those events was the ever improving Kim Cadzow, 14.

Kim was outstanding and after a number of fourth placings took silver in the 50m backstroke in a very slick 32.77 missing gold by a fingernail.

Jessica Martin, 13, improved in her favoured butterfly events to with silver in a big personal best of 31.48 seconds.

Likewise Madison Fuller, 13, surprised with a fantastic bronze medal over the 50m freestyle, again in a big personal best 29.66 seconds.

Madison will be sorely missed as she transfers over to St Peter's at the beginning of school term.

Libby Bradley, 16, restricted herself to freestyle events but this did not stop her winning bronze over 200m, silver in the 50m and another bronze in the 100m.

Team members Mia Pugh, Lucy Paterson, Jasmine Baggaley, all 14, and Ella Moore, 16, all swam well in support to make a number of finals.

Lochlainn O'Connor, Cai Jager, Nathan Capp and Libby Bradley were all selected to represent the central region in the 2016 NZ Zonal Championships.