Rotorua and Taupo high school swimmers performed well at the New Zealand championships recently.
From September 7-9 the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships were in Hamilton. More than 420 swimmers took part from 124 colleges from Whangarei to Queenstown. Six high schools from Rotorua and Taupo were represented - RotoruaLakes High School, John Paul College, Rotorua Girls High School, Taupo-nui-a-Tia College, Tauhara College, Lake Taupo Christian College as well as two Rotorua swimmers representing Bethlehem College.
Two 14-year-old swimmers from the area won medals at the competition - Keegan Pook from Taupo-nui-a-Tia College won silver medals in the 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle, and bronze medals in the 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle. Jack Weston from Rotorua Lakes High School won gold in the 100m breaststroke, silver in the 50m breaststroke and bronze in the 200m breaststroke.
Other swimmers with top 10 finishes were: from Rotorua Lakes High School - Luke Matthews (18) 6th in 100m and 200m backstroke and 8th in 400m freestyle, Ben Matthews (15) 7th in 400m freestyle, 9th in 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke. From Rotorua Girls High School Jody Lickfold (17) came 9th equal in the 100m backstroke and in the 50m freestyle, and 9th in the 400m freestyle. Sarah Kenyon (14) from Tauhara College came 5th in the 50m breaststroke, Caitlin Taylor from Taupo-nui-a-Tia College came 6th in the 200m butterfly. From Bethlehem College Rachel Mead (14) came 8th in the 200m individual medley and 10th in 400 freestyle, and William Spear (13) came 6th in the 200m butterfly and the 200m backstroke, 8th in the 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke and 10th in the 50m butterfly.
The other competitors from the schools were: Danielle Cooper, Rebecca Firth, Jacob and Reuben Connon, Anna Hayns and Kyle Smith. The Rotorua swimmers are all members of Swim Rotorua, while the Taupo swimmers compete for Taupo Swimming club.
