Entire Whanganui Swim Team post personal bests at All Stars Nationals in capital

The Whanganui Swim Team juniors all produced personal bests at Wellington All Stars national carnival.

The Toyota Whanganui Swim Team's junior (12 and under) swimmers emerged from the All Stars (Lower North Island and Tasman) National carnival last weekend with a 100 per cent strike rate of personal bests.

The team converged on the Wellington meet in numbers with focus of the carnival being personal improvement and the entire Whanganui team posted personal bests (PB) in events they competed in.

Whanganui's highest points scorer was the talented 11-year-old Aria Bannister who dominated in her favoured breaststroke events with wins in the 100m and 200m and second in the 50m event. She backed that up with thirds in the 200m freestyle, the 50m butterfly and the 200m Individual Medley and PB'd every race she swam in as well as helping two relay teams to PB times.

The next highest point scorer was 12-year-old Allan Thongskul who qualified for four events at the NZ Div 2 meet in Dunedin (for swimmers 12 and over) and picked up a sharp second placing in the 50m backstroke. He also achieved 100 per cent success with PBs in every event he competed in, including a massive 12 second PB in the 100m butterfly.

Ten-year-olds Eli Abraham and Hamish Cranstone also had a fine meet with Cranstone gaining a second in the 200m breaststroke and a third in the 100m breaststroke and Abraham two excellent third placings in the 100m and 200m backstroke.

Whanganui's other top 10 placed swimmers included the two youngest swimmers in the team with 9-year-olds Ihaia Cooper picking up a fifth place in the boys 10 and under 200m IM and Caralie Hanna claiming 10th in the 10 and under 100m backstroke. Her 12-year-old brother Regan Hanna swam PBs in every event and picked up six individual top ten finishes as well as a NZ Div 2 qualifying time, while 11-year-old Reagan Carver also swam multiple PBs and picked up four top ten placings.

Whanganui's other top ten placed individual swimmer was 10-year-old Sophie Young-Wilson who placed in the top 10 in all four of her individual events with two 6th placings an 8th and a 9th place.

With some fine swims in the relay events the Whanganui team of Caralie Hanna, Abraham, Bannister, Carver, Sophie Bell, and Thongskul picked up an excellent 6th placing in the 12 and under 6 x 50m freestyle event, where one swimmer from each gender and age group represents the club, 7th placing in the boys 12 and under 4 x 50m freestyle relay consisting of Thongskul, Regan Hanna, Thomas Gowan and Carver, Bannister, Young-Wilson, Bridget Trott and Bell placing 11th in girls 12 and under 4 x 50m freestyle relay and Bridget Trott, Bannister, Regan Hanna and Thongskul placing 12th in the mixed 4 x 50m freestyle medley relay.

Whanganui's other swimmers Anya Carlson (11), Emily Corchoran (11), Brooke McGinnis (11), Sophie Trott (11) and Piper Whiteman (12) all swam PBs achieving their personal goals at their first national carnival.

The boys placed an impressive 4th in the overall points and the girls also impressed with a 9th placing overall.

The Toyota team will now contest the upcoming Manawatu Champs before the senior swimmers contest the Div 2 and National Age group champs.