Otago’s future star swimmers made a splash on the national stage at the weekend. They collected nearly 30 medals in a brilliant haul for the region across four days at the New Zealand secondary schools championships in Auckland. The Otago Girls’ relay team of Hannah Ker-Fox, Olivia McBride, Isabella Miller and Ivy Weatherston Harvey won overall gold in the women’s 4x50m medley in 1min 59.46sec. Ker-Fox, McBride, Isabelle Miller and Annalise Miller won overall silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay in 3min 57.66sec and McBride, Weatherston Harvey and the Millers won bronze in the 4x50m freestyle in 1min 51.15sec. Ker-Fox was crowned the 13 years women’s 100m and 400m freestyle champion, winning the titles in 58.82sec and 4min 24.67sec respectively, and won silver in the 100m IM in 1min 7.63sec. Annalise Miller won gold in the 14 years 400m freestyle in 4min 24.67sec, silver in the 200m freestyle in 2min 6.99sec and bronze in the 100m freestyle in 58.95sec. Mount Aspiring swimmers Hana Carnie and Sophia McClintock collected more medals. Carnie won gold in the 14 years 50m backstroke (30.01sec), 100m backstroke (1min 3.65sec), and 200m backstroke (2min 17.57sec) and bronze in the 200m IM (2min 27.43sec). McClintock won silver in the 14 years 50m freestyle (26.89sec) and 100m freestyle (58.95sec) and silver in the 50m butterfly (28.92sec) and 100m butterfly (1min 6.38sec). Columba College swimmer Myla Duncan won four medals. She was crowned the women’s 13 years 50m backstroke champion in 29.84sec and the 100m champion in 1min 4.35sec. She also won silver in the 50m freestyle (27.51sec) and 200m backstroke (2min 22.25sec). Bayfield para swimmer Greer Holland (SM19) had an outstanding weekend in the pool. She won the women’s multi-class 15 years gold in the 50m butterfly in 36.09sec and 50m freestyle in 30.82sec. She picked up overall silver in the multi-class 50m backstroke in 37.78sec, and bronze in the 100m freestyle (1min 17.56sec) and 100m IM in (1min 26.41sec). Dunstan swimmer Elli Kiuru won bronze in the women’s 14 years 50m breaststroke in 35.46sec.
