Godfrey (19), a science student at the University of Otago, won the gold medal on the first night of the New Zealand open championships in a personal-best time of 2min 17.87sec. Natasha Lloyd (North Canterbury) was second in 2min 18.09sec.
It qualified Godfrey to compete at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia.
It was a significant win because Lloyd (17) is one of the most promising female swimmers in the country and won a bronze medal at the Youth Olympics in Sydney in January.
The performance was a reward for Godfrey, who has been a hard-working member of coach Gennadiy Labara's Osca squad for the last five years.
It was Godfrey's second gold medal at the open long-course championships. She won the women's 400m individual medley last year.
The Otago 4 x 200m freestyle relay team of Nick Tyrrell, Rhys Applegarth, Jeremy Tasker amd Adam Simpson won a silver medal in 7min 48.97se when second to Wellington (7min 45.65sec).
Matthew Glassford (Neptune) was fourth in the 100m breaststroke in an Otago senior men's record time of 1min 4.46sec.
Kurt Crosland (Neptune) broke the Otago men's open 50m butterfly record twice. He swam 25.28sec in the heat and 25.22sec when fifth in the final.
