The Neptune swimmer was on track for silver for much of the race, but Eve Thomas (Coast) produced a strong back end to charge home to second.
Former Dunedin swimmer Erika Fairweather was always the favourite — having already swum under the qualification times for the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships — and added another national title to her haul in 4min 01.42sec, while Thomas earned silver in 4min 06.85sec.
Deans has already nabbed a qualification time for the Pan Pacific Championships, while Thomas earned hers last night.
Emilia Finer (Neptune) came seventh in 4min 23.49sec and Ruby Heath (Kiwi) was eighth 4min 23.63sec.
Dunedin Olympian Kane Follows (Neptune) won silver in the men’s 50m backstroke in a personal best time of 25.76sec behind Jasper Cornish (Coast), who won gold in 25.50sec.
Kiwi swimmer Alfie Weatherston Harvey won gold in the men’s 17-18 years 1500m freestyle in 15min 58.99sec. He also won overall silver in the distance. William McFarlane (Kiwi) finished eighth in 17min 09.18sec.
Liam Rees (Kiwi) won bronze in the men’s 200m IM in 2min 07.23sec.
Olympian Lewis Clareburt, who is now based in Australia, won the event in 1min 57.65sec, going under the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championship qualifying times.
Esme Paterson (Neptune) finished eighth in the women’s 50m butterfly with 28.11sec.
Olympian Hazel Ouwehand (Phoenix) won in 25.55sec.
