Northland swimmers bring home rack of medals from national age group championships

Sixteen swimmers from Northland did their region proud at the national tournament, picking up eight medals. Photo / Supplied

Northland's swimmers made their presence felt at the National Age Group Championships at the Wellington Aquatic Centre from April 16-20.

A team of 16 Northland swimmers spent five days competing against about 600 of the country's top age-group swimmers, picking up eight medals.

Five medals went to just one swimmer – Ciara Smith,18, of Northwave Swimming Club. Smith won gold in all three breaststroke distances and in the 400m individual medley (IM), and silver in the 200m individual medley.

Smith broke five Northland age-group records and set new times for the Northland Open women's 200m IM and 400m IM. She also took a New Zealand age-group record, beating Annabelle Carey's 2007 time of 2.34.31 in 200m breast with a 2.33.64 swim.

The other three medals went to Smith's Northwave teammate Tyler Jepsen, 14, who won silver in 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke, and bronze in 400m freestyle.

He won two of his medals – for 400m freestyle and 100m backstroke - on the first day of competition, improving his time in both events. Tyler made the finals of all his events through the week.

Other Northland swimmers to make finals were: Quin Walden (14, Northwave) 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke; Emilia Finer (14, Bay of Islands) 200m fly, 1500m freestyle; Madeline Whittam (15, Northwave) 200m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke; Nellie Clark (15, Northwave) 100m breaststroke; Rebecca Reade (16, Bream Bay) 200m backstroke.

Top 20 place-getters from the Northland team at National Age Group Championships were: Madeline Whittam (15, Northwave) 50m breaststroke; Lucy Nichols (13, Northwave) 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke; Nathalie Hull (15, Northwave) 50m breast, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 200m IM.

Nellie Clark (15, Northwave) 50m breast, 50m fly; Jazmine Murray (14, Northwave) 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 100m backstroke; Abby Wright (15, Bream Bay) 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke; Kori Brown (15, Bay of Islands) 50m breaststroke.

Rebecca Reade (16, Bream Bay) 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly, 200m IM; Emilia Finer (14, Bay of Islands) 400m freestyle; Luca Matenga (15, Bream Bay) 100m breaststroke; Quin Walden (14, Northwave) 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle.