Swim Rotorua cleans up at Bay of Plenty awards brunch

Swim Rotorua have had a morning to remember at the annual Bay of Plenty Swimming Awards.

The awards are held each year to celebrate outstanding performances from athletes, officials and volunteers.

Head coach Alastair Johnson said the awards, held during a brunch in Rotorua's Sudima Hotel on Sunday, capped off a "tremendous season" for the club.

He was particularly pleased with the trophies for the Top Overall Performing Club at all national events and the Balfour Trophy for the club with the most points at the Bay of Plenty Junior Championships and the Central Swimming Championships.

"These are the awards that best reflect our growing depth of talent, the excellent team spirit that exists throughout the club and the willingness of our young athletes to put it all on the line in representing Rotorua," said Johnson.

Club members also collected a range of individual awards.

Kane Radford won the overall swimmer of the year title, while Emily Spear, Bianca Donelley, Jack Weston, David Boles, Paddy Baylis, James Baldwin and Milla Theobald all won awards for the outstanding swimmer in their events in the Bay of Plenty.

Swim Rotorua collected awards for the top open water swimmers, women's distance swimmers in freestyle and backstroke and men's distance swimmers in breaststroke and backstroke.

Alex Cameron won the top swimmer at the Rising Stars Competition and Dion Wright was recognised with the trophy for the most improved under-12 swimmer in the Bay.

Volunteers and officials from Swim Rotorua were also recognised.

Wendy Hill and Helene Walsh were named the top technical officials of the year, Ellen Sherwood and Fiona Paignton received Swimming New Zealand recognition for outstanding service to national swimming, and club president Henry Weston won the trophy for exceptional service to swimming.

David Pearce and Noel Gulliver, of the Rotorua Aquatic Centre, were recognised for their support of the many swimming events held in Rotorua and their work in developing the new swimming pathway "from babies to aqua blacks" in partnership with Swim Rotorua.