Swimming: Big success at NZ champs for Northlanders

Annabell Simpson in action at the New Zealand Short Course Championships. Photo/Mike Swords

Northland proved once again that they can compete on the national stage as swimmers from Bream Bay and Northwave came up with big results.

Eight Northland swimmers competed at the New Zealand Short Course Championships last week in Auckland - Paul Linton, Isabelle Paton and Kieran Swords from Bream Bay, along with Northwave's Mia Gordon, Hayley McIntosh, Annabell Simpson, Ciara Smith and Madeline Whittam.

Hayley McIntosh won gold in the 17-year-old women's 400m and 800m freestyle, and a bronze in 200m, with times faster than current Northland short course open records in all three events.

Mia Gordon (14) picked up silver in the 100m and 50m breaststroke.

Annabell Simpson and Ciara Smith, both just back from the Australian State Teams Age Group National Championships, also posted fast times.

Ciara in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, where she also picked up a gold and a silver and swam under the Northland open short-course records in both events.

Annabell swam under the open short course records in all three backstroke events.

Madeline Whittam (13) in her first time at the Short Course champs, placed ninth in the 50m breaststroke and 14th in the 100m race.

Paul Linton (16) was the best performed of the Bream Bay swimmers, going under the Northland age group time in 100m backstroke and under the open record time in 50m back, while Kieran Swords (17) also went under his age group's record time for 100m back.

Isabelle Paton (17) competed in three breaststroke events, placing eighth in the 200m, 11th in 50m and 12th in 100m breaststroke.