Swimming: Club looks back on season of change

Stefan Hannan (left), Elena Forlong, Brenda O'Shaughnessy, Zoe Groves, Sarya Lower and Jacob Smith are the major Wanganui Swim Club trophy winners for 2013-14..Photo/Bevan Conley

It started in the Wanganui Splash Centre pool and ended in the Kaierau rugby clubrooms and there was a lot to digest in between for the members of the Wanganui Swim Club in season 2013-14.

Holding their prizegiving at the Country Club yesterday afternoon, the club was able to look back on a summer of significant changes as long-time head coach Jane Lowe departed the scene in December, while the club merged into the wider Wellington swimming region around the New Year.

New coach Andy McLay joined Wanganui in March and will now be at the head of a significant coaching restructuring which has the goal of smoother transitions for the club youngsters who will start with the Learn to Swim programme before progressing into other higher grades.

The need for this was clear for the 28 of them who took part in the Wellington Regional Swim competition for Under 13-year-olds at the Splash Centre on Saturday.

On a day dominated by the Tawa team, who along with Capital are the the big clubs in the region, McLay said it is crucial for Wanganui's 9 to 11-year-olds to keep getting better exposure to this level of competition.

"We were definitely well behind the eight-ball, but a lot of those kids who have never had competitive swimming were really keen to give it a go."

McLay and company want to see the club members follow the example set by the Special Award winners who were given their due at yesterday's prizegiving.

Sarya Lower came forward to accept the trophy for Outstanding Junior Performance in 2014.

She was a gold medallist with the Wellington Regional relay team at the NZ Juniors Championships in February, where she also achieved four top 10 individual records. Lower broke both Wanganui short and long course age group records for the 50m and 100m freestyle, as well as the a new 200m time for the 12-year girls freestyle.

Accepting their Bignell Cup trophies for Outstanding Male and Outstanding Female 2014 were Jacob Smith and Elena Forlong. Smith smashed 20 seconds off his personal best with 8th in the 400m medley at the NZ Age Group Championships, along with a 9th in the 100m breaststroke.

Naturally, he also broke a number of club records in breaststroke in both age group short and long courses.

Forlong made multiple finals at the NZ Age Group Champs in May, with the highlight being her silver medal in the 200m butterfly. She also came 8th in the 400m medley, 9th in the 100m butterfly and 7th in the 800m freestyle.

Four club records fell to her this season.

This year the club opted to recognise two people with the Beacon Bacon Cup for Outstanding Sportsmanship, as Zoe Groves and Stefan Hannan shared the honour.

Groves had a serious whiplash injury which prevented her from attending the NZ Short Course Champs in September 2013, but she worked hard after the set back, later attending the NZ Division II event in 2014 where she claimed six silver medals and two bronze.

Hannan has a reputation for motivating the Wanganui team both in and out of the water.

He would be the first to volunteer to lead them in exercises and always displays a positive attitude. These swimmers were joined by club stand-outs Laura O'Keeffe and Shannon Schimanski in breaking club junior and open records.

As well as the swimmers, club board member Brenda O'Shaughnessy was given the Glen Whyte Memorial Cup for Outstanding Voluntary Club Service 2014.

Award winners

Club Championship Age Group Trophies and Placings.

9 Years Boys: 1. Hunter Gibson; 2. Rylie Wright; 3. Jayden Lower. Girls: 1. Harriet Yorston; 2. Levani Pari; 3. Cayden Earles.

10 Years Boys: 1. Oliver Keelty; 2. Keegan Norton. Girls: 1. Ella Pudney; 2. Jorja Whiteman; 3. Amelia Buchan.

11 Years Boys: 1. Samuel Yorston; 2. Charlie Brown; 3. Hamish Dodds-McIntosh. Girls: 1. Kara Adrole; 2. Amelia Cronin; 3. Katie Foster.

12 Years Boys: 1. Dillon Adrole; 2. Jack Clifton; 3. Finlay Spooner. Girls: 1. Sarya Lower; 2. Alexandra Forlong; 3. Jaimee Bridger.

13 Years Boys: 1. Jack Brown. Girls: 1. Shannon Schimanski; 2. Stella Nowak; 3. Alissa Norton.

14 Years Boys: 1. Judah Malcolm; 2. Cameron Allardice. Girls: Louise Clifton.

15 Years Boys: 1. Jacob Smith. Girls: 1. Jazmin Phillips; 2. Nina Eades; 3. Charlotte Lawrence.

16 Years Boys: 1. Stefan Hannan; 2. Caleb Martin; 3. James Wright. Girls: 1. Zoe Groves; 2. Sophie Couper.

Most Improved

Freestyle Boy: Samuel Yorston. Girl: Charlotte Lawrence.

Backstroke Boy: Jacob Smith. Girl: Brittany Matthews.

Breaststroke Boy: Stefan Hannan. Girl: Stella Nowak.

Butterfly Boy: Jacob Smith. Girl: Sarya Lower.

Overall Boy: Judah Malcolm. Girl: Hannah Kemenater.

Challenge Certificates: Dillon Adrole, Kara Adrole, Jaimee Bridger, Anna Brown, Rebecca Brown, Jack Brown, Georgina Bryant, Amelia Buchan, Jack Clifton, Louise Clifton, Sophie Couper, Amelia Cronin, Hamish Dodds-McIntosh, Lucy Dowman, Cayden Earles, Bethany Farmer, Alexandra Forlong, Katie Foster, Mia Gemmell, Grace Hogan, Niamh Hogan, Maggie Jones, Hannah Kermenater, Charlotte Lawrence, Sarya Lower, Judah Malcolm, Brittney Matthews, Alissa Norton, Keegan Norton, Clarissa Nowak, Stella Nowak, Darien Parsons, Ella Pudney, Katelyn Satherley, Anna Simpson, Finlay Spooner, Harriet Yorston, Samuel Yorston.

Coaches Presentation: Mel Miller, Jennie Rogers, James Dowman, Brenda O'Shaughnessy, Verena Nowak, Sophie Couper, Freya Ewing, Clarissa Nowak, Hannah Roxburgh.

Special Awards:

Outstanding Junior Performance 2014: Sarya Lower.

Most Outstanding Male 2014: Jacob Smith.

Most Outstanding Female 2014: Elena Forlong.

Outstanding Sportsmanship 2014: Zoe Groves and Stefan Hannan.

Outstanding Voluntary Club Service 2014: Brenda O'Shaughnessy.