St Georges swimmers aim high

St George's School swimmers Cayden Earles, left, Andrew Hay and Georgia Abrahams with coach Andy McLay, left, and headmaster Andrew Osmond at their side prepare for the Aims Games next month.

Three young Whanganui swimmers are blazing a trail others will hopefully follow as they prepare for the Anchor Aims Games in Bay of Plenty next month.

Andrew Hay, Cayden Earles and Georgia Abrahams and all members of the Wanganui Toyota Swim Team, but will represent their school at the annual Aims Games in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui catering for intermediate school athletes only on September 10-15.

The sporting championships give 11, 12 and 13-yearolds an opportunity to compete as an individual or in a team against the best of their age in twenty different sports and has been going for 14 years now. It has gone from a small festival of sport, to what are now considered the International Championships for Intermediate and Middle schools.

The only other intermediates registered from this patch are Whanganui Intermediate (multisport), Hunterville Consolidated School (swimming) and Raetihi Primary School (netball).

The St Georges School students are being coached for the big event by their Wanganui Swim Team coach Andy McLay who encouraged them to represent their schools.

"The Aim Games clashes with the upcoming Wellington Champs and the New Zealand Secondary School Champs, but I think it was important these three represent their schools," McLay said.

"The Aims Games is huge now and is truly international. The competition is strong, which can only benefit them. All three are progressing very well and I'm sure will acquit themselves well in Tauranga.

"Hopefully their performances will encourage other schools to enter swimmers in future Aims Games. These guys are the only ones I know of competing (in swimming) from around these parts.

"All three were in-form at the Wanganui swimming champs at the weekend as were many of the other younger ones. Jonte Wright broke a longstanding record. The Wanganui Collegiate 16-year-old broke the 50m breaststroke record set by Adrian Leaitua in 1994. Adrian's time was 32.12 seconds, while Jonte clocked 31.97s.

"He has a good sporting pedigree. His father is Ian Wright the Australian head rowing coach. And young Ethan Byers (12) qualified for the New Zealand Short Course Championships in Auckland in October," McLay said.