NZ selection for Gisborne clubbies

Lauren Pickett’s excellent surf lifesaving nationals included two board relay gold medals and second in the under-19 women’s ironwoman. Picture by Paul Rickard

Gisborne athletes feature in all three high performance squads named by Surf Life Saving at the conclusion of the national champs.

Chris Dawson, Cory Taylor and Olivia Corrin, all of the Midway club, and Casie Fyall, of Waikanae, are in the New Zealand open squad coached by Jason Pocock.

Jamie Gedye (Waik) and Matthew Scott (Mid) are in the New Zealand development squad coached by Danny Morrison.

Waikanae has four athletes in the New Zealand youth squad — Briana Irving, Christy Tate and brother and sister Lauren and Michael Pickett — coached by former Gisborne man Matt Cairns.

A team of 12 athletes will be selected for the Black Fins open team for the 2018 world championships at Adelaide in November.

This team, along with the Junior Black Fins, will be named in the coming months after team camps and further testing.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand is also sending a team of 10 to the Sanyo Cup in Japan in June, and this team will be announced over the coming weeks.

The development and youth squads feature athletes who have the potential to represent New Zealand at open and youth levels.