Swimming: Awards celebrate emerging stars

Swimming Northland has marked its 40th birthday, incorporating the 2011-12 Swimming Northland Awards into a wonderful night to celebrate competitive swimming in the region.

The gathering last week drew past and present coaches, administrators, life members and supporters of the sport and they all recognised the current crop of Northland swimmers - some of whom are beginning to make their mark at a national level.

The top prize went to Melita Raravula of Northwave, who was named Northland Swimmer of the Year. Melita won 12 national medals at NZ Age Group Champs during the 2011/12 season (six short course and six long course).

She also performed well at the NZ Open Championships where she made the A final for the 50m breaststroke. Her efforts were recognised when she was selected for the NZ Age Group team that swam in the Transtasman Series in Australia recently.

Melita took away another nine awards, easily making her the most successful Northland swimmer of the 2011/12 season.

The Northland Junior Swimmer of the Year award went to Ellie Eastwood of the Whangarei Swimming Club, for her efforts at the NZ Junior Championships (12 years and under), where she won three silver medals in the breaststroke events and secured the most XLR8 points of all of the 38 Northland swimmers at the champs. Ellie also won another two awards, including the award for breaking a Northland record by the greatest margin.

The Athlete with a Disability Swimmer of the Year went to Bay of Islands' Daniel Gaualofa, who had a great season in his first full year of competitive swimming.

Other Northland swimmers to take away multiple awards were Bay of Islands' Carla Marsh and Haydn Jurisich, Michael Larkin from Nga Papahu and Bream Bay's Alex Birchall.

Monica Cooper from Northwave took out the Coach of the Year, Ross Gillespie from Dargaville the Official of the Year and Helen Crane the Administrator of the Year.

Liz Furey of the Whangarei Swimming Club joined an elite group of only 16 others when was made a Life Member of Swimming Northland for her 38 years' service to the sport.