Swimming: Greerton youngsters set high standards

The two-day Taupo Xcelerate Meet is the first swim meet of the winter season where swimmers set their benchmark times to work on over the upcoming season.

The Greerton squad set a high standard for themselves with a phenomenal 72 per cent of starts producing personal best times and including two meet record breakers.

The first two records went to 11-year-old Logan Horne in his favoured butterfly discipline. He broke both the 50m and 100m records swimming 34.97 and 1:20.56 respectively. Horne backed those results up with three more victories over 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke.

The second record breaker was Danielle Waiari, 15, who also broke the 50m butterfly record, swimming a strong 31.12 seconds.

Coach Tai Daniela, when asked to comment on the good form of his squad, hinted that they were almost too fresh and that there was plenty of hard work to come as they build towards the BOP and NZ Championships.

Continuing the butterfly theme, Calum Gilmour, 15, sprinted to two impressive wins also over the 50m and 100m distances. His respective times of 27.96 and 1:02.66 showed good speed despite an injury issue preventing him competing over longer distances.

Fourteen-year-old national medallist Blake Horne managed to win four events in the midst of heavy training.

The workhorse award went to Ella Browne, who took on eight events. With one straight final, and successful qualification in the other seven events, it meant a tough schedule of 15 races over the weekend. Her highlight was a second placing in the 100m backstroke behind outstanding world championship-bound junior Bobbi Gichard of Hawke's Bay. Gichard broke the NZ record in that event as well as the 50m backstroke.

The biggest improver of the team was Leah Van Zyl, 12, who consistently rewrote her personal records by significant amounts, showing the results of those early morning training sessions. Van Zyl's training partner MacKenzee Harris, 12, was next in line for top improver - closely followed by youngster Kate Kuka , 10, and Kim Kadzow, 11.

Emma Harding, 16, won the 50m breaststroke while Gaia Pini, 15, picked up a good win in the 50m freestyle in 29.38 seconds.

Fellow 15-year-olds Stacey Muir (400m freestyle and 200m butterfly), Libby O'Toole (400m IM) and Ciara Derecourt (200m breaststroke) all won gold medals. Grace Wright, 14, did likewise in the 50m backstroke and the 400m medley, and 9-year-old Jacob Browne proved too strong for the competition over 50m freestyle - topping the podium in 36.48 seconds.