Wairarapa may host transtasman event

Wairarapa seems set to host the final meet in the transtasman series featuring the top age group swimmers in Australia and New Zealand in July.
And if that is the case it will be the direct result of a hugely-impressive administrative effort when a three-centre internal tri-series competition for 60 of this country's best performers aged from 14 to 17 years got under way at the Genesis Recreation Centre pool in Masterton yesterday.
Speaking after a morning session which went with clockwork precision, Swim New Zealand's youth and age group logistics manager Lisa Conroy revealed Wairarapa officialdom were basically on trial for the transtasman event, and she indicated they had come through with flying colours.
"It's been awesome, absolutely awesome," Conroy said "Everything seems to have gone according to plan, it's been exactly what we wanted."
The decision on the three venues for the transtasman series won't be confirmed until after a debrief on the internal tour but Conroy said she could see no reason why Wairarapa would be overlooked.
"Obviously I can't give any guarantees but right now I would say it's looking good ... very good."
If Wairarapa do get the nod the Genesis Recreation Centre pool will again be headquarters and it will be the third and final meet in a series which will earlier have seen the two Australian teams taking on their New Zealand counterparts twice,very probably at Mount Maunganui and Taupo.
For Swimming Wairarapa general secretary Maryann Corrigan, Conroy's positive words were music to her ears.
"To host an international meet of that consequence would be tremendous news for Wairarapa," she said. "We have an amazing band of people working for the good of swimming here and it would be the icing on the cake for them."
Corrigan said Swimming Wairarapa would promote the transtasman meet as much more than a sporting occasion.
"We would make it a memorable cultural experience too - it would be something really special."
Meanwhile, it was all action at yesterday's internal tour competition with the 60 participants being divided into three teams - Concords, Smurfs and Red Indians - and contesting a busy programme covering all strokes.
The sole Wairarapa swimmer taking part was Masterton's Isaac Foote, who delivered the oath on behalf of the competitors at the opening ceremony which followed a breakfast for officials and dignitaries. Foote placed fourth and third in his first two races.
Results from the morning session included:
Boys 100m freestyle: Shane Hornby (Thames) 53.81 1, Jared Solomon 54.03 2, Zac Aitken 55.91 3.
Girls 200m freestyle: Bernadette Reidy (Central Hawke's Bay) 2.10.13 1, Bianca Bradley 2.12.11 2, Jade Tuwhangai 2.15.12 3.
Boys 200m backstroke: Tea Williams (Mt Eden) 2.12.44. 1, Chris Dawson 2.13.49 2, Freddie Bassett 2.15.19 3.
Girls 100m backstroke: Laura Quilter (Hawke's Bay) 1.05.20 1, Sophia Batchelor 1.05.79 2, Shelby Wilson 1.06.37 3.
Boys 400m freestyle: Matthew Hutchins (Canterbury) 4.06.19 1, Nick Gillum 4.14.01 2, Adam Simpson 4.16.09 3.
Girls 800m freestyle: Stefanie Gillespie (Otago) 9.07 45 1, Emma Robinson 9.23.44 2, Phoebe O'Leary 9.28.89 3.
Boys 200m backstroke: Shaquille Vaotu'ua (Auckland) 2.29.52 1, Andrew McEwan 2.31.93 2, Isaac Foote 2.32.59 3.
Girls 100m breaststroke: Natasha Lloyd (Canterbury) 1.14.93 1, Emily McGill 1.15.64 2, Hayley Edmond 1.18.21.3.
Boys 100m butterfly: Jared Solomon (Waikato) 59.07 1, George Eglesfield 1.01.38 2, Freddie Bassett 1.02.05 3.
Girls 200m butterfly: Sophia Batchelor (Canterbury) 2.23.50 1, Bianca Bradley 2.23.84 2, Lauren Coetzee 2.25.05 3.
Boys 400m individual medley: Matthew Hutchins (Canterbury) 4.44.15 1, Ryan Holder 4.46.79 2, Adam Simpson 4.47.10 3.
Girls 200m individual medley: Hayley Edmond (North Shore) 2.24.27 1, Shelby Wilson 2.25.33 2, Jenna Buchanan 2.27.23 3.