Tauranga clubs had the highest percentage of the 16 swimmers representing the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Taranaki and Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay regions at the Victorian Age Championships, held in Melbourne from December 13-18.
Just qualifying was a major feat for Joshua Pickett, Benji Rowe, Thomas Chaney, Blake Horne (Otumoetai), Grace Eglinton (Mount Maunganui) and Libby Bradley (Greerton). Swimmers had to meet the average top six times from the past three years' championships and only two visitors were eligible to race in each of the finals.
Greerton's Bradley, 15, had an outstanding meet, breaking PBs and making the final in all seven events she entered. She was desperately unlucky to miss a medal in the 50m Freestyle, with her time 27.32s just outside second placed time of 27.05.
Otumoetai's Chaney, 14, and Horne, 15, also had memorable meets in Melbourne.
Chaney was at his first international meeting and came home with bronze and a new PB by two seconds in the 100m Butterfly. His time of 1:01.79 in his bronze medal swim set a new Bay of Plenty long course record by just over a second. He also raced to new PBs for boys' 14, 200m Breaststroke by two seconds and in the 200m Individual Medley.
