Comet wins ‘top junior club’ award

TOP JUNIOR CLUB: Comet swimmers with the silverware. They are, back (from left): Jamie Isemonger, Max Phillips, Rixon Skudder, Matthew Joblin, Charlotte Willoughby, Luke Wright and Emma Niven. Middle: Te Maumahara Hape, Sophia O’Hara, Stevie Durston, Katelyn Grimson, Holly Fisher, Jamie Joblin and Kobe Teka-Kururangi. Front: Celia Willoughby, Elijah Wright, Noah Wright, Harriet Morunga, Jodiesha Kirkpatrick, Petiata Bowden and Natalie Johnson. Picture by Paul Rickard

COMET Swimming Club won the award for top junior club at the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay winter swimming championships in Flaxmere this month.

A Comet team of 36 swimmers finished third overall. Three Comet relay teams — the 12-and-under boys, and 10-and-under girls and boys — each had two wins.

Overall winners in their age groups were Jodiesha Kirkpatrick in the 13-year girls, Harriet Morunga in the 10yr girls, and Noah Wright in the 11yr boys.

Coaches Bianca Shaw and Jamie Isemonger were thrilled with the results. South African-born Isemonger, a junior Commonwealth Games gold medallist, joined the club in February and is excited to be working with the talent in the club.

Based at the Coast Swim Club in Auckland for two years, Isemonger decided to swap the hustle and bustle of Auckland for the relaxed living and good surf of Gisborne, and the swimmers have responded to the injection of new ideas.

Results — Comet top junior club, third club overall.

12-and-under boys: 2 relay wins. 10/u girls: 2 relay wins. 10/u boys: 2 relay wins.

Jodiesha Kirkpatrick: 1st overall 13yr girls; club record 200m butterfly, 1st 200m backstroke, 1st 200m fly, 1st 100m breaststroke, 1st 50m freestyle, 1st 200m free, 1st 200m individual medley, 1st 100m fly, 1st 50m brst, 2nd 100m back, 2nd 50m back, 2nd 800m free.

Harriet Morunga: 1st overall 10yr girls; 1st 100m free, 1st 50m fly, 1st 100m free, 1st 100m brst, 1st 100m back, 1st 50m back, 1st 50m brst.

Noah Wright: 1st overall 11yr boys; 1st 1500m free, 1st 100m free, 1st 200m brst, 1st 200m back, 1st 100m brst, 1st 200m free, 1st 200m IM, 1st 100m fly, 2nd 50m brst, 2nd 100m IM, 3rd 50m fly.

Petiata Bowden: 2nd overall 13yr girls; 1st 100m IM, 1st 50m fly, 1st 50m back, 2nd 200m brst, 2nd 100m brst, 2nd 50m free, 2nd 50m brst, 3rd 100m free, 3rd 200m IM.

Te Maumahara Hape: 2nd overall 10yr boys; 2nd 100m free, 1st 200m back, 1st 100m back, 1st 50m back, 2nd 50m fly, 2nd 100m free, 2nd 100m brst, 2nd 50m free, 2nd 200m free, 2nd 200m IM, 3rd 200m brst.

Elijah Wright: 2nd overall 9yrs/under boys; 2nd 50m fly, 2nd 100m free, 3rd 100m IM, 3rd 200m back, 3rd 50m free.

Angus Blair: 3rd overall 13yr boys; 1st 800m free, 1st 200m back, 1st 100m back, 1st 50m back, 2nd 100m free, 2nd 200m fly, 2nd 400m IM, 2nd 200m free, 2nd 100m fly, 2nd 400m free, 2nd 100m IM.

Kaylah Reynolds: 3rd overall 12yr girls; 2nd 100m IM, 2nd 100m free, 2nd 50m free, 2nd 200m free, 3rd 50m fly, 3rd 200m brst, 3rd 100m brst, 3rd 50m brst.

Rixon Skudder: 3rd overall 12yr boys; 1st 100m IM, 1st 200m back, 1st 100m back, 2nd 50m fly, 2nd 100m brst, 2nd 50m free, 2nd 50m back.

Natalie Johnson: 3rd overall 11yr girls; 1st 100m back, 1st 50m back, 2nd 50m free, 2nd 100m fly, 3rd 100m IM, 2nd 800m free, 3rd 100m brst, 3rd 200m free.

Race results — Celia Willoughby: club record 8/u 50m fly, 3rd 50m fly, 3rd 100m brst, 3rd 100m fly.

Harper Bailey: 9/u boys 1st 50m free, 1st 50m back, 3rd 100m free.

Jazmynn Bailey: 10yr girls 1st 50m free, 1st 200m free, 1st 100m fly, 2nd 50m fly, 50m back.

Jamie Joblin: 15yr men 2nd 50m brst, 2nd 50m fly, 2nd 50m brst, 3rd 100m brst.

Kobe Teka-Kururangi: 15yr men 2nd 1500m free, 3rd 100m fly.

Holly Fisher: 16 and over women 3rd 50m fly, 2nd 200m back, 3rd 800m free, 4th 100m back, 4th 200m IM, 4th 100m fly.

Max Phillips: 12yr boys 2nd 200m back, 3rd 200m IM.

Ronan Gemmell: 11yr boys 2nd 200m free.

Luke Wright: 9/u boys 2nd 100m back.

Sophia O’Hara: 11yr girls 2nd 200m brst.

William Matthews: 12yr boys 2nd 200m brst, 2nd 200m IM, 2nd 100m fly, 3rd 50m fly, 3rd 100m brst, 3rd 50m brst, 3rd 400m free.

Waimana Wharepapa-Chater: 12yr boys 3rd 100m free, 3rd 100m back, 3rd 50m back.

Sam Matthews: 9/u/ boys 3rd 100m back.

AJ Kinsella: 10/u boys 3rd 200m free.

Matthew Joblin: 13yr boys 4th 800m free, 4th 50m fly, 4th 200m brst, 4th 100m brst, 4th 50m free, 4th 200m IM.

Emma Niven, Katelyn Grimson, Eva Kinsella, Shanice McNabb, Piki Wharepapa-Chater, Charlotte Willoughby, Michael Taniora, Luke Wright, Brooke Matthews, Gus Kinsella, Stevie Durston, Conor Greany and Taylor Bailey all contributed to Comet team successes with personal best times, team culture and passion.