Whanganui's Angus Sewell and Aria Bannister strike gold at 2019 Aims Games in Tauranga

Year 8 Fordell athlete Angus Sewell won three gold at the 2019 Anchor Aims Games in Tauranga this week.

Year 8 Fordell schoolboy Angus Sewell has set the benchmark for intermediate age Whanganui kayakers winning three gold medals at the 2019 Anchor Aims Games in Tauranga.

The 12-year-old won gold in the K1 100m, 200 and 500m events all raced on Tuesday.

Young Sewell is also a member of the Whanganui Kayak Club, an adjunct of the Whanganui Multisport Club, and coach Brian Scott said his young protege was always a solid chance of a podium finish in his age group.

"This is the first time the sport has been competed for at the Aims Games and I always thought Angus would be a good chance at that level," Scott said.

Aira Bannister wins gold and bronze in the pool for Whanganui Intermediate School at the 2019 Anchor Aims Games in Tauranga.

"The Aim Games is a wonderful concept and more intermediate age school kids would benefit from competing, especially now they have added kayaks."

Meanwhile, Aria Bannister has medalled for Whanganui Intermediate School in the pool in Tauranga.

Bannister won bronze in the 50m breaststroke with a personal best (PB) and a Whanganui record and then in the final event of the swim meet, managed to hold her nerve to swim her way to gold in the 100m breaststroke in Tuesday, smashing the Whanganui record she set the day before by nearly three seconds.

The two students were the only athletes competing from their respective schools at this year's AIMS Games, which end on Friday.