Rotorua swimmers shine at short course champs

MEDAL WINNER: Rotorua's David Boles shone in the backstroke events at the Central Swimming Short Course Championships. PHOTO/FILE

Swim Rotorua enjoyed a fine showing at the Central Swimming Short Course Championships at the Rotorua Aquatic Centre.

The event, held at the weekend, attracted a strong field from throughout the North Island including large teams from the Waikato and Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay.

Paddy Baylis dominated his signature distance freestyle races to win the 800m and 1500m freestyle. He also finished third in the 400m freestyle, along with four age group medals in the freestyle, backstroke and butterfly events.

David Boles shone in the backstroke events to place second in the 200m and third in the 100m. He won age group medals in the medley, freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke events.

Joe Nagera took home the age group gold medal and overall second place in the 50m backstroke with a superb time of 27.91 seconds. He also blasted home in a very quick 27.40 seconds in the 50m butterfly to take third place in the open final.

Milla Theobald won three age group medals in butterfly events. Her best came in the 50m butterfly where she placed third in the open final and took home a silver medal in her 14 years age group. She also won two age group bronze medals.

Josh Balmer recorded best times in all but one event. His sole victory came in the boys 13 years 400m freestyle. He also won medals in the 200m and 400m medley, 200m breaststroke and 200m backstroke.

Also competing in the 13 years age group was Annelyse Cowie who won a magnificent seven medals with a standout win in the 100m breaststroke. Older brother Damon Cowie took gold in the 15 years 100m breaststroke and silver medals in the 50m and 200m breaststroke.

Skye Cox was in fine form to take home four age group medals in the 15 years category. These came in the 50m, 400m and 800m freestyle and the 200m backstroke. Bianca Donelley picked up three medals, in the same age group, in the 50m backstroke, and 50m and 100m freestyle.

Ana Nagera won the 17 years 50m breaststroke, and then completed the set with a silver in the 100m and a bronze in the 200m.

Molly Sinclair, 14, won her first medal at this level. Her time of 32.08 seconds won her bronze in the 50m butterfly. In the same age group Kapua Warbrick won three age group medals in the medley and breaststroke events.

Rounding off a strong showing for the Swim Rotorua 14 year girls was Emily Spear who produced a heap of best times, plus a bronze medal in the 800m freestyle. James Baldwin won silver medals in the 15 years 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke.

In the hotly contested relay events, Swim Rotorua's Skye Cox, Kapua Warbrick, Milla Theobald and Bianca Donelley came up trumps in the girls' 13-15 years 4x50m medley relay. The also took bronze in the open 4x100m medley.

The boys did well in the open relays with a silver for the 4x100m medley team (David Boles, Damon Cowie, Paddy Baylis and James Baldwin) and a bronze for the 4x100m freestyle team (James Baldwin, Ryan Wilkinson, David Boles and Paddy Baylis).