She gave inspiration to the Otago Stars team when she beat the talented Natasha Lloyd (Canterbury Shockwaves) in the senior women's 400m freestyle.
Godfrey (19), a neuroscience student at the University of Otago, won the nip and tuck battle in 4min 26.91sec. Lloyd clocked 4min 27.19sec.
They were personal-best times for both swimmers - 5sec by Godfrey and 4sec by Lloyd.
Nothing separated the two swimmers until Godfrey edged ahead over the last 30m.
''It was a hard race and we were together the whole way,'' Lloyd (17), a pupil at St Andrew's College in Christchurch said.
''Kate went just that bit harder than me at the end.''
Godfrey is a member of coach Gennadiy Labara's Osca squad and is used to being pushed to the limits in training.
Godfrey showed that she is on target for a place in the New Zealand team for the World University Games in Russia later this year.
However, she had to settle for second in the 100m backstroke last night when she was beaten by talented Canterbury swimmer Sophia Batchelor.
Batchelor clocked 1min 3.91sec and Godfrey 1min 4.93sec.
Lloyd fared better in her specialist 200m breaststroke, winning in 2min 35.82sec. Katie Kenneally (Neptune) was 5sec back in second place.
The team contest is close, with the Canterbury Shockwaves holding a narrow lead over the Otago Stars after the third day of the Canterbury and Otago championships.
It was a good night for the Osca squad with Neptune swimmers Kurt Crosland and Andrew Trembath showing class in the 100m backstroke.
Crosland (28) won the senior men's event in 56.81sec from Cameron James (Aquagym) who clocked 58.95sec.
Trembath was even more dominant when he won the men's aged 15 and 16 event by 4sec in 1min 00.60sec.
Crosland wants to qualify for the world championships in the 100m backstroke and the 200m individual medley.
Trembath also won the 400m freestyle last night in 4min16.98sec when he beat Jake O'Grady (Ashburton) by 2sec.
Trembath (16) won three of his five events at the championships. He will miss the last two days because he is competing at a surf life-saving championship at Whangamata.
