Masterton swimmers excel at NZ champs

The successful Masterton squad, Sian Dale, left, Ksenia Arnopp, Hayley Bresaz, Ella Sims, Charlotte Hamill-Harris, Oliver Donaldson, Tom Parker and Lachlan O'Connell. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

MASTERTON swimmers were outstanding at the four-day New Zealand division two swimming championships in Invercargill last week, winning three gold, eight silver and six bronze medals and achieving a host of personal best times.

Consistent results across the board with all eight team members making finals, had Masterton finishing an impressive sixth overall out of 75 clubs from throughout New Zealand.

Oliver Donaldson (14) won gold medals in the 50m butterfly and 50m breaststroke clocking personal bests in prelims and finals for both events. He also took the silver in the 50m freestyle, again in a personal best time, and bronze in the 100m breaststroke. Donaldson featured in the Wellington regional freestyle and medley relay teams which both won silver medals in their respective events.

Showing extraordinary versatility over short and long distances, Ella Sims (17) won gold in the 50m freestyle, taking more than a second off her previous best time. In contrast she also earned silver medals in the 800m freestyle, 400m individual medley and 200 and 100m freestyle. For good measure Sims claimed bronze in the 200m medley and swam personal best times in six of her seven events.

Charlotte Hamill-Harris (15) impressed in the 50m butterfly, taking almost one second off her previous best to win bronze, improving from a ranking of sixth. She picked up two more bronze medals in the 100m and 50m freestyle with more personal bests.

In a superb 800m freestyle swim, Hayley Bresaz (14) claimed the silver medal, taking more than 12s off her previous best time. She was rewarded with four more top 10 placings from five personal best times.

The Masterton combination of Hayley Bresaz, Sian Dale, Ksenia Arnopp and Ella Sims won the bronze medal in the 200m freestyle relay.

Sian Dale (15) finished fourth in the 200m breaststroke in a personal best time and as part of a busy programme placed in the top 10 in four other events including seventh in the 50m breaststroke in a personal best.

Breaking the three-minute mark for the first time, Tom Parker (13), took fourth place in the 200m breaststroke in a personal best time. He added another in the 50m breaststroke and finished fifth in the 100m breaststroke.

Swimming at their first national meet, Ksenia Arnopp (17) and Lachlan O'Connell (15) both swam personal bests to progress to finals with Arnopp placing fifth in both the 50m and 100m backstroke events. O'Connell (15) finished fifth in the 200m individual medley final and took more than two seconds off his 50m butterfly time.

Donaldson, Sims, Dale and Hamill-Harris all featured in Wellington regional relay teams.

Masterton Swimming Club head coach Anna Kitching said the results were well-deserved.

"The build-up to national meets with camp and training effort has paid off for all these swimmers who successfully backed up heats and finals with some very full programmes."

The club now looks to compete at NZ open championships/Olympic Trials in Auckland later this month and the New Zealand age group championships in Wellington in April.