Making their own bit of history

MOST GOLD MEDALS: Comet Swimming Club won the cup awarded to the club winning the most gold medals at the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay Summer Championships. Comet swimmers pictured with trophies and medals are, back (from left): Connor Grimson, Gus Logan, Kobe Teka-Kururangi, Sam Armour, Matthew Joblin, Rixon Skudder, Michael Taniora, Brad Hill, Sophia O’Hara, Jamie Joblin, Obe Chaffey and Imogen Amor-Bendall. Middle: Waimana Wharepapa-Chater, Te Maumahara Hape, Charlotte Willoughby, Sierra Blumfield, Gemma Hill, Peti-Ata Bowden, Celia Willoughby, AJ Kinsella, Zita Szoke, Holly Fisher and Katelyn Grimson. Front: Brooke Matthews, Jodiesha Kirkpatrick, Max Phillips, Kyle Seabrook and William Matthews. Picture by Liam Clayton

Comet Swimming Club competitors made their own bit of history at the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay Summer Championships at Gisborne’s Olympic Pool.

For the first time, Comet won the United Cup awarded to the club winning the most gold medals.

Second in the points for the overall-top-club award, 30 behind fellow Gisborne club Enterprise Cars Swim Team, Comet nevertheless won the award for top junior (13 and under) club by over 500 points.

The championships produced four winning relay teams, five age-group winners, and six new club records for Comet.

As well, Comet swimmers Jodiesha Kirkpatrick and Kyle Seabrook were the top female and male 12-and-under swimmers for the meet.

The relay gold medals came in the 12-year boys’ 4 x 50-metre freestyle, the 12yr girls’ 4 x 50m freestyle, the 12yr boys’ 4 x 50m individual medley and the 12yr girls’ 4 x 50m individual medley.

Age-group winners were Harriet Morunga in the nine-and-under girls, Te Maumahara Hape in the nine-and-under boys, Jodiesha Kirkpatrick in the 12yr girls, Kyle Seabrook in the 12yr boys and Jamie Joblin in the 15yr men.

Club records were set by Jodiesha Kirkpatrick in the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley, Imogen Amor-Bendall in the 100m and 200m butterfly, Holly Fisher in the 200m freestyle and Rixon Skudder in the 50m butterfly.

Results — Imogen Amor-Bendall: four gold, three silver, one bronze. Sam Armour: qualified for four finals. Harper Bailey: fifth place 50m backstroke.

Jazmynn Bailey: two finals. Angus Blair: two gold, three silver, two bronze. Sierra Blumfield: one bronze. Peti-Ata Bowden: five silver, one bronze. Tamsyn Brown: one gold, one silver, two bronze. Obe Chaffey: one bronze. Quincee Chaffey: personal-best times in 100m freestyle and 50m back. Hayley Durston: three bronze. Samantha Durston: one silver. Stevie Durston: 100 percent pb. Noah Emerre: one fourth, four other final swims. Holly Fisher: six gold, two silver, three bronze, one fourth. Connor Grimson: 100pc pb. Katelyn Grimson: one silver, two bronze. Te Maumahara Hape: five gold, three silver. Brad Hill: one gold, two silver. Gemma Hill: six final swims. Lily Hulley: one fourth, two other top-seven finishes. Jamie Joblin: five gold, three silver, three bronze. Matthew Joblin: one top-seven finish, 90pc pb. Natalie Johnson: one gold, one silver, three bronze. AJ Kinsella: two gold, one silver, three fourths. Eva Kinsella: two top-seven finishes, 100pc pb. Gus Kinsella: one of club’s three seven-year-olds competing at this regional meet. Jodiesha Kirkpatrick: 15 gold. Natalie Land: two pb. Ben Langford: two top-seven final finishes. Gus Logan: one silver, four final top-seven finishes. Bonnie Lynch: 12-second pb 100m breaststroke. Brooke Matthews: 11sec pb 100m fr. William Matthews: five gold, four silver, six bronze. Celine McNabb: 12sec pb 100m back. Shancie McNabb: bronze 50m fr. Harriet Morunga: six gold, one silver.

Emma Niven: one gold, one silver, two bronze. Sophia O’Hara: 3sec pb 50m back. Max Phillips: one gold, two bronze. Kaylah Reynolds: two bronze. Kyle Seabrook: eight gold, four silver, one bronze. Rixon Skudder: six gold, three silver, two bronze. Zita Szoke: one gold, one silver, one bronze. Michael Taniora: one bronze. Kobe Teka-Kururangi: one gold, one silver, two bronze. Waimana Wharepapa-Chater: three silver. Piki Wharepapa-Chater: 44sec pb 100m br. Celia Willoughby: one gold, one bronze. Charlotte Willoughby: 26sec pb 100m bk. Elijah Wright: one silver, three bronze. Luke Wright: 31sec pb 100m bk. Noah Wright: 41sec pb 50m butterfly.