|
 |
Water rush: Marc Lemaire-Sicre is tipped as a strong contender at the South Island Swimming Champs
|
Queenstown Swimming Club is celebrating its most successful competitive season to date.
More than 100 youngsters have made head coach Frank Wylie proud over the last few months by making personal best times, finals and winning medals at various meets around the country.
The top form continued at last weekend’s Division Two meet in Wellington where Rebekah Paul took second place in the 13-year-old girls’ breaststroke and Ben Dennison finished third in the “gruelling” 14-year-old boys’ 1500m freestyle. Alyssa Waaka, 14, Sophie Lemaire-Sicre, 13, and Brittany Arkell, 14, also made finals at the North Island event.
Hot Wakatipu picks
Marc Lemaire-Sicre
Age: 17
A strong contender for the 100 metres backstroke, 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle in the 16-years-and-over division
Ella Ferguson
Age: 15
Should contest 100m and 200m backstroke finals in the 14-15 years’ division. Also entering the 400m individual medley
Casey Strachan
Age: 13
A strong distance swimmer entering 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle in the 13-and-under category
Ben Dennison
Age: 14
One to watch in the 14-15 years’ 1500m freestyle. Also entering 200m and 400m freestyle
Isabella Reid
Age: 14
Should perform well in the gruelling 14-15 years’ 400m individual medley and in the 200m backstroke
Rebekah Paul
Age: 13
Expected to do well in the 13-and-under 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke
|
“As a club, we’ve probably had our best-ever results,” Wylie says.
“I think the thing that’s most pleasing is the number of younger swimmers coming through who are competing well at a national level.”
Based on points, QSC was crowned top club at the local Early Bird meet, the Otago Spring Carnival, the Alexandra Christmas Challenge, the Otago Country Club champs and the South Island Town and Country meet.
Butterfly sprinter McGregor Fea, 18, and backstroker Ella Ferguson, 14, were the “best-performed” swimmers, claiming silver medals at the National Age Group champs.
Wylie also singles out Lauren Kerr, 14, and Casey Strachan, 13, who made finals at the same champs and Patrick Harris, 12, who was a finalist at the National Juniors.
McGregor, Ella and Lauren each qualified for next month’s NZ Open in Auckland, which doubles as a qualifier for this year’s Commonwealth Games.
But they won’t be going – McGregor is recovering from knee surgery for an old injury and Wylie reckons Ella and Lauren are too young and “not realistic prospects” for the Games.
“I think a year or two more of consolidation at age group level is necessary before they take on the big guns,” Wylie says.
“You go up there and you think you’re good but you might get smashed by the best in the country, who might be 23-year-old women, and sometimes it can be more of a setback than moving them on.”
|
