Staggering 962 entries for champs

A staggering 962 entries from 117 individual swimmers have been received for the Swimming Wairarapa's open championships to be held in Masterton this weekend.
It's a remarkable response which Swimming Wairarapa secretary Maryann Corrigan says caught even local officials by surprise.
"We were always aiming for it to be big but this big & no, we didn't anticipate that," she said, adding that the increased popularity of the event was appropriate in what was the 50th anniversary of the Wairarapa centre.
The Wairarapa-based clubs of Featherston, Greytown, Carterton, Aquajets and Masterton are liberally represented with Greytown's situation perhaps best exemplifying the growth of the sport here. They will have 14 swimmers taking part this weekend, compared to just two last year.
But the championships will be anything but a Wairarapa benefit. All told 18 clubs will be part of the action, including some from Taranaki, Manawatu, Horowhenua and Wellington.
Corrigan said the quantity of swimmers would be matched by the quality and she predicted that many Wairarapa records would go by the board, especially with this meet providing the last opportunity for swimmers to qualify for the national age group championships to be held in Wellington in March.
"That's something which is going to give a real edge to some of the races, the best swimmers are going to be holding nothing back," she said.