Swimmers make flying start as records tumble

Records tumbled when Wanganui swimmers took to the water at the season's first competition, the Greerton Winter Meet at Mount Maunganui at the weekend.

Members of the 17-man Wanganui Swimming Club squad broke four Wanganui records and posted numerous podium finishes.

Fifteen-year-old Jacob Smith was the top placed with three firsts and a third, setting three Wanganui records. The records, all in breaststroke were set in 1994 by Quintyn Austin and Aaron Bunker.

Smith started with a 32.83s in the 50m breaststroke placing third and equalling Austin's record, then went on to win the following two, taking 5 seconds off Bunker's 200 record with a 2m29.14s.

Coach Jane Lowe said Smith approached the 100m aggressively to achieve a 1m09.14s and also won the 400m medley in 4m 58.14s, a 6-second personal best.

In other breaststroke events Shannon Schimanski, 13, finished second in the 50m, 100m and 200m events recording personal bests with a 35.98s in the 50m, 1m 18.95s in the 100m and 2m 53.85s in the 200m.

Sarya Lower, 11, swimming in the 13 and under age group, showed herself equal to the competition reaching finals in several events and setting a new Wanganui time in the 200m freestyle, trimming Sarah Teki-Clark's record by over four seconds to 2m 29.21s. Lower was a finalist in the 100m backstroke with a 1m 18.41s, the 200m breaststroke in 3m 14.04s and the 100m breaststroke in 1m 32.71s.

Lowe said Sophie Couper, 15, relished the competition after a three-month break from racing, achieving two seconds and a third in backstroke.

"Couper was solid in all her performances with strong finishes including a 1m 08.50s in the 100m, a 32.18s in the 50m and 2m 28.34s in the 200m," Lowe said. "Laura O'Keeffe, 15, reached multiple finals, getting sharper as the meet progressed finishing with a well-paced personal best in the 100m butterfly to place third in 1m 08.57s."

Fourteen year old Elena Forlong was selected to compete in the 14 and under Skins competition following a strong 200m freestyle swim in 2:18.86. Forlong also enjoyed the racing, reaching finals and producing qualifying times for the October New Zealand Short Course Champs in the 100m butterfly with a 1m 11.16s, the 200m butterfly in 2m 34.93s and the 100m backstroke in 1m11.48s.

Forlong is one of 12 Wanganui swimmers that have set times for the national meet.

Other swimmers to place in the top three included Jazmin Phillips, 14, with a third in the 200m breaststroke in 2m 58.32s; Liam Cox, 16, third in the 200m breaststroke, 2m 47.74s and Luke Gemmell, 14, third in the 100m butterfly in 1m 06.69s.