15-year-olds selected for the All Stars team

Two 15-year-old Wanganui swimmers have earned their first major honours for the coming season.

Jacob Smith and Laura O'Keeffe have been selected for the 'All Stars' the Lower North Island Zone Swim Team to compete in the inaugural Zonal Championship, being held directly following the New Zealand Short Course Champs in early October.

Coach Jane Lowe said each zone chose 40 swimmers and among them are the top 10 of both the 15-and-under and the 16-and-over grades for males and females in the country.

"In the Lower North Zone this includes Olympians Gareth Kean and Samantha Lucie-Smith.

"O'Keeffe and Smith recently competed at the Wellington Short Course Champs with results leading to their selection."

Smith won both the 100m and 200m breaststroke with times of 1:09.76 and 2:29.30 respectively, while also coming third in the 50m (33.00).

He also gained personal bests in the 200m medley (2:21.18) and the 400m medley (4:57.90).

O'Keeffe set both open and age grade Wanganui records in the 100m and 200m freestyle.

Her 2:10.00 time in the 200m earned her third place, while she was placed 5th in the 100m in 1:00.78.

O'Keeffe also placed third with a personal best 1:07.42 in the 100m backstroke, and had solid performances in the 200m and 400m medley, along with the 100m and 200m butterfly.

"Also at the Wellington Champs Elena Forlong, 14, had an outstanding 800m freestyle in a closely fought race with Ruby Heath from Wellington," said Lowe.

"Forlong set a new Wanganui age and open record of 9:33.10, improving 19 seconds on her previous best."

Another 15-year-old, Sophie Couper, placed 5th in the 200m backstroke with a personal best of 2:26.18.

These swimmers will be in action at the Wanganui Spring Meet on September 14-15, with a team of 10 heading to the New Zealand Short Course Champs in Wellington from September 29.