Swimming: Trio picked for Harlequins

Ellie Eastwood of Whangarei, swimming in Dargaville in December.

Three Northland swimmers are hoping to capitalise on a push by Swimming New Zealand to widen the support base of swimming among the public.

Northwave swimmers Hayley McIntosh, Callum Prime and Ellie Eastwood have been selected to represent the Northern Harlequins in the 2015 New Zealand Zonal Championships in Auckland on February 8, an event that will be broadcast live on Sky TV.

Swimming NZ hopes the publicity will help promote the sport and that it will be an event to remember for the Northland trio - and something to add to their swimming resume.

The three will compete in a team of juniors and seniors selected from Northland, Counties-Manukau and Auckland swimmers, who will compete against the Central North Island Aqua Knights, Lower North Island All Stars and a South Island Makos team.

In addition, Northwave coach Monica Cooper has been selected as one of the two junior team coaches for the Harlequins team at the event. Cooper coaches McIntosh, Prime and Eastwood at the Northwave Club in Whangarei.

The swimming carnival will be televised live from the Westwave Aquatic Centre on Sky Sport from 5-9.30pm, with the format faster than a traditional swimming carnival.

Each zonal team consists of 20 senior swimmers (10 female and 10 male 16-years and over) and 20 junior swimmers (10 female and 10 male 15-years and under).

Each team member will swim in a maximum of three events plus team relays, with points accrued by each individual and in the relays going towards the overall team points, with the highest score winning the event.

McIntosh will swim in the longer distance freestyle events and Eastwood will compete in the breaststroke and individual medley events. Prime is likely to swim in the individual medley and backstroke events, although he may well be required in other events given his skill in all strokes.