Surf lifesaving: Lyall Bay grab surf lifesaving pool title

Photo / APN

Wellington's Lyall Bay club effortlessly captured the overall club title for a third successive year at surf lifesaving's national championships in Wellington this weekend.

In their home pool at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre, Lyall Bay's 83-strong squad of athletes helped them accumulate 1020 points over the three-day event.

Gisborne's Waikanae club finished second once again, totalling 674 points, while Paekakariki and Mount Maunganui scored 542 and 426 respectively.

Though Lyall Bay was a serious force in the junior ranks, the individual star of the carnival was Titahi Bay's John Gatfield, who dominated the open men's arena.

Gatfield won the 50m swim with fins title in 20.66sec, the 200m swim with obstacles in 2min 01.98sec, the 100m rescue medley in 1:10.81 and the 50m manikin carry without fins in 36.38.

With the 12-strong New Zealand team competing in this week's world championships in Egypt, an under-20 Australian development side also scored some decent results in the open grade.

Sam Bell led a cleansweep of the medal positions in the 200m super lifesaver event, heading home compatriots Tim Schofield and Leigh Ryan, while Rachelle King, Jessica Lauricella and Emily Chaffey emulated that result in the women's division.

Piha pool specialists Nicholas Adams and Kirsty Wannan helped lift their club's open points tally while St Clair's Stephanie Laughton - a noted IRB racer - showed her versatility in the pool.

There was even some success for the southern-most surf lifesaving club in the world, Invercargill's Oreti, with team members Simon Cook, Luke Davies, Richard Harris and Thomas Howie winning the 4x50m medley relay from Mairangi Bay and Piha.

Harris then backed up to win the 100m manikin tow with fins in 1:03.26 from James Verreault (Mairangi Bay) and Rhys Applegarth (St Clair), while Laughton, originally from Oreti but now with St Clair, headed home her sister Carla in the women's race.

- NZPA