Bryers reigns at nationals

History-making Toyota Whanganui Swim Club teenager Ethan Bryers returns home from the 2019 AON NZ Age Group Championships in Wellington with a national title.

Photo / Supplied

Teenager Ethan Bryers ended the summer season in style bringing home the first ever boy's national title for the Toyota Whanganui Swim Club after winning gold at the 2019 AON NZ Age Group Championships in Wellington.

Seven outstanding young swimmers travelled from Whanganui to Wellington the age group championships from April 16-20 where 14-year-old Byers was again the standout performer for the Whanganui Swim Team winning his first national title and backing it up with a silver and a host of top 10 finishes.

Byers could not have given the team a better start by going out in the first event, the 400m freestyle and becoming the first boy from the Whanganui club to win a national title joining former club swimmers Shannon Schimanski and Sarya Lower as national age group champions.

That was the start of a gruelling week for Bryers as he contested all of the tough distance events gaining an excellent silver in the 1500m freestyle and picking up another five top 10 placings which rates him as one of the premier swimmers in the 14-year-old age bracket.

Also breaking through at his first full national event was 13-year-old Jack Robertson who has made massive gains this year.

His bronze medal in the 200m freestyle was an outstanding swim and a huge step up for Robertson who is now a real prospect and someone to look out for in the future as he continues to improve.

Hard luck story for the week would have to go to Cayden Earles who got ill late in the week and was forced to withdraw from the last two days of competition, which included two of her favoured events, the 100m breaststroke and the 400m Individual Medley. She still managed top 10 finishes in the 50m and 200m breaststroke in the tough 14-year-old girls division.

Also in that highly competitive age group were Cheyenne Nightingale and Lucy Somerville, both of whom performed well and will be threats at the New Zealand Short Course Championships in September as a number of their competitors age up.

Thirteen-year-old Georgia Abraham was her usual competitive self, picking up top 10 finishes in the 50m and 100m backstroke events, and 16-year-old Amelia Cronin gained a top 10 placing in the girls' 50m butterfly.

Overall the small Whanganui contingent ended up a credible 35th in the overall club points, and second of the Manawatu region's clubs behind Palmerston North's Kiwi West.

The swimmers now take a well-earned break before getting back in the pool to start the winter swimming season.

By Staff Reporter
Whanganui Chronicle 24/4/19