Clubs emphasise junior development

GOLDEN HAUL: Jack Keepa won 12 gold medals at the Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay Summer Championships at the Olympic Pool. Picture by Paul Rickard

GISBORNE'S best young swimmers were to the fore at the Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay Summer Championships at the Olympic Pool.

More than 250 competitors from seven clubs battled it out across four days, with the event finishing last Sunday.

Enterprise Cars Swim Team won the most titles and took the award for top club overall.

Tyler Finau, 15, from Enterprise, won 13 gold medals, for events that included the women's 400-metre freestyle relay and 400m medley relay.

Jack Keepa, also from Enterprise, won 12 gold medals. His wins included the 15-and-under boys' 200m freestyle relay and 200m medley relay.

Josiah Ney, 19, from the Comet club, was the men's open overall winner.

Comet's other age-group winners were Harriet Morunga (10-year-old girls), Te Maumahara Hape (10-year-old boys) and Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (13-year-old girls).

Bradley Anderson, 12, from Enterprise, won nine gold medals.

Both Gisborne clubs emphasised the development of junior swimmers.

'Our juniors are looking stronger than ever,' Comet head coach Jamie Isemonger said.

Enterprise head coach Matt Martin said his club had some great young talent coming through — 'some real quiet achievers who have been working hard and are starting to see the rewards for their efforts' .

Enterprise committee member Paul Evans, who is leaving for Melbourne next month, was recognised at the meet for 10 years of service.