Earlier this year Gearey bettered 13 seconds for 100m on the track, a mighty effort for one her age. Collins won the under-19 and under-16 girls beach sprint titles at the Hawke's Bay championships, and at the recent New Zealand Surf League in Mount Maunganui finished second in the under-16 grade.
Larsen, who has won 20 national titles as a competitor on the sand, rates Morrison as his big improver. She won the under-19 and under-16 flags titles at the Hawke's Bay championships and made the under-16 sprint final at the eastern regionals.
Sarah Karika has shaken off last season's injury woes in style. Larsen believes she is in the best form of her career with emphatic wins in the under-19 sprints at the New Zealand Surf League and Eastern Regional events.
New recruit Vanessa Martelli, 20, in her first flags event, won the open women's title at the Hawke's Bay champs beating former national champion and long-time flags specialist Simone Baarspul.
Martelli has been on a three-month strength and conditioning programme with Larsen as part of her quest to gain New Zealand under-21 hockey team selection.
Hawke's Bay under-16 rugby representative Sam McNicol has been the star of Larsen's male athletes to date. He had impressive wins in the under-16 sprint, flags and relay events at the eastern regionals.
His teammates in the relay were Kauri Cudd, the son of former Junior All Whites and Napier Rovers Chatham Cup-winning football player Jimmy Cudd, Caleb Makene and Jordan Pineaha.
McNicol, Cudd, Makene and Todd McLean were second in the under-19 relay at the same carnival. Larsen believes Cudd will push McNicol hard for gold at the nationals in both the sprint and flags after finishing second to him in the sprint at regionals.
Cudd won the sprint and flags titles at the New Zealand Surf League and the under-16 and under-19 flags titles at the Hawke's Bay championships.
Big improver Makene finished fourth in the sprint behind McNicol and Cudd and seventh in the flags at regionals.
Coach Larsen is eyeing a 20-point haul from the sand in Gisborne, and another of his goals is for every team member to travel home with a medal. With strong relay teams, this should be achievable.
One of OBK's best hopes on the water in Gisborne will be paddler Aimee Fisher. She won the under-19 girls ski race at regionals and is a New Zealand kayaking team member. Her coach Ben Bennett said she is training hard and paddling extremely well.
Fellow New Zealand kayaking team member Scott Bicknell finished second in the open men's ski race at regionals and is tipped to push the winner, Olympic kayaker Steven Ferguson, hard in the battle for gold at Gisborne.
The club's open men's and under-19 boys canoe crews finished first and second respectively in the canoe races at regionals and are expected to challenge for gold at nationals.
The open men's crew includes Bicknell, national kayaking representative Ryan Welch, Andrew Callinicos and Jack Crasborn. The under-19 team includes Jacob Crawley, Mitch Glasgow, Kieran Kruger and Jarrod Forde.
On water, team coach Adam Dunnett said his teams are on track to do well at nationals.
"The pink hat will be a standout as always," Dunnett said.
The four-day Midway Beach-hosted nationals begin on March 16.
