Niven Comet swimmer of year

Christopher Niven. File picture.

CHRIS Niven has won the Beth Meade Memorial Cup as the Comet Swimming Club swimmer of the year.

Niven set three club records in one race, the 1500 metres at the New Zealand Age-group Championships.

On his way to a sixth-place finish, Niven set club records for the 400m, 800m and 1500m.

In the 200m butterfly, he bettered his previous personal best by three seconds and set a club record to qualify for the final.

At the club prize-giving, Niven also won the 16-year-old male swimmer award, the 1500m Cup, a goodwill trophy, and awards for fastest 50m freestyle, most club records and most dedicated.

Over 250 parents and swimmers turned up at the Olympic Pool complex for the final session of the Comet club championships.

Nine-year-old Jodiesha Kirkpatrick set a Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay record in the 100m butterfly.

The family relay was hotly contested, 21 families entering the 3x50m freestyle event. The Brown family touched just before the Gollan and Keepa families.

Special mention goes to the Pereira family, whose team featured twin six-year-old girls Maddison and Tessa, who put in a fantastic effort.

Learn-to-swim members giving competition a crack included Olivia Edwards, Freya Broden, Jacqueline Kennedy, Reilyn Atkins-Wells, Nia O’Leary, Georgia Colvin, Fergus Gollan, River Somerton, Sylvie Cave, AJ Kinsella, Aohuna Soutar, Nanaka Yamada, Bruno Kim and Stevi Durston.

This event was closely followed by the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay Up-and-Comers Meet.

Comet swimmers won half of all age groups, including the seven-and-under female (Chloe Moore), seven-and-under male (Fergus Gollan), eight-year female (Lily Hulley), eight-year male (Kyan Ayton), 10-year male (Flynn Watts), 12-year female (Katelyn Grimson) and 13-and-over female (Kellann Kemp).

Up-and-Comers results Imogen Amor-Bendall: 1 gold, 2 bronze.

Chloe Atkins-Wells: 25-second personal best 100m breaststroke.

Kyan Ayton: 2 gold, 3 silver.

Maddox Ayton: 6sec pb 50m butterfly.

Angus Baker: 3 gold.

Tamsyn Brown: 8sec pb 100m breaststroke.

Bobbi Crawford: 2 bronze.

Kalea Daly: 1 silver, 1 bronze.

Lucy Davis: 1 bronze.

Holly Fisher: 1 silver, 3 bronze.

Olivia Gaddum: first-time competitor.

Sam Gaddum: first-time competitor.

Campbell Gollan: 1 bronze.

Fergus Gollan: 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze.

Connor Grimson: 10sec pb 100m freestyle.

Katelyn Grimson: 1 gold, 3 silver.

China Gunness: first-time competitor.

Fletcher Haar: 3sec pb 50m breaststroke.

Lochlann Haar: 1 gold.

Kimberly Hayes: 5sec pb 100m freestyle.

Amy Hill: 1sec pb 100m freestyle.

Gemma Hill: 2sec pb 100m freestyle.

Lily Hulley: 1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze.

Matthew Joblin: 45sec pb 100m breaststroke.

Natalie Johnson: 1 silver.

Charlie Keepa: 1 gold, 1 bronze.

Kellann Kemp: 4 gold, 1 bronze.

Paeko Kemp: 1 silver.

Jeremyn Kim: 16sec pb 100m backstroke.

Lucia Kim: 1 gold.

Hannah King: 1 bronze.

AJ Kinsella: 1 gold.

Eva Kinsella: first-time competitor.

Emma Le Goff: 4sec pb 100m freestyle.

William Matthews: 1 gold, 2 bronze.

Celine McNabb: 17sec pb 100m backstroke.

Shanice McNabb: 1 gold.

Poppy Middlemiss: first-time competitor.

Chloe Moore: 2 gold, 2 silver.

Nia O’Leary: first-time competitor.

Max Phillips: first-time competitor.

Kyle Seabrooke: 1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze.

Keely Rose-Smiler: first-time competitor.

Claudia Song: 7sec pb 50m breaststroke.

Felix Sparks: 4sec pb 50m freestyle.

Jasmine Sparks: 4sec pb 50m freestyle.

Lily Sparks: 1 bronze.

Summer Stone: 6sec pb 100m freestyle.

Willow Stone: 6sec pb 100m backstroke.

Zeis Takoko: 6sec pb 50m backstroke.

Amy Thomas: first-time competitor.

Flynn Watts: 3 gold, 3 silver.

Krystal Westrupp: 6sec pb 50m backstroke.

Cody Wright: first-time competitor.

Comet club prize-giving Eight-and-under female: Charlie Keepa.

Eight-and-under male: Rixon Skudder.

Nine-year female: Jodiesha Kirkpatrick.

Nine-year male: William Matthews.

Ten-year female: Aria Harrison.

Ten-year male: Angus Blair.

Eleven-year female: Emily Moore.

Eleven-year male: Brad Hill.

Twelve-year female: Katelyn Grimson.

Twelve-year male: Jack Keepa.

Thirteen-year female: Samantha Durston.

Thirteen-year male: Kauri Waitoa.

Fourteen-year female: Bree Rangiuaia.

Fourteen-year male: Zavier Low.

Fifteen-year female: Petra Sparks.

Sixteen-year female: Karen Brown.

Sixteen-year male: Chris Niven.

Ten-and-under breaststroke: Aria Harrison and Angus Blair.

Eleven-to-13yr breaststroke: Samantha Durston and Jamie Joblin.

Fourteen-and-over breaststroke: Lily Sparks and Alistar Gordon.

Butterfly Cup: Jodiesha Kirkpatrick.

“Deserving of encouragement” cups: Holly Fisher and Lochlann Haar.

Youngest competitors: Maddison and Tessa Pereira.

Oldest competitors: Megan Niven and Mark Joblin.

Best country family: the Harrison Family.

800m Cup: Emma Niven.

1500m Cup: Chris Niven.

Family relay winner: the Brown Family.

Family relay runner-up: the Gollan Family.

Most promising novice: Rixon Skudder.

Top achiever, junior: Jodiesha Kirkpatrick.

Best all-round 11-and-under: Angus Blair.

Goodwill trophies: Emma Le Goff and Chris Niven.

“Most improved” cups: Emma Niven and Jamie Joblin.

Club people of the year: Rose Brown and Kevin Joblin.

Outstanding competitors: Bree Rangiuaia and Angus Blair.

Fastest 50m freestyle: Bree Rangiuaia and Chris Niven.

Top 200 Series: Emily Moore and Jack Keepa.

Most club records: Chris Niven.

Freestyle Cup: Jack Keepa.

Backstroke Cup: Angus Blair.

Most dedicated: Chris Niven.

Jimmy Aupouri Memorial Trophy: the Joblin Whanau.

The Beth Meade Memorial Cup (club swimmer of the year): Chris Niven.