Whanganui High School Sports

Whanganui swimmers Ziva Bunker (12) and Paige Conley (15) made a splash at the 2025 Golden Homes SwimFest, held 4–6 July at Auckland’s Sir Owen Glenn National Aquatic Centre and hosted by North Shore Swim Club. The event drew swimmers from across New Zealand and provided a competitive platform for both athletes to shine.

Ziva had a standout weekend, breaking the 12-year-old girls' 50m backstroke long course record with a time of 32.80, surpassing Georgia Abrahams’ 2018 mark of 33.41. She also lowered her own 50m butterfly record from 31.79 to 31.26.

Thanks to her consistent performances across all four 50m sprint events (Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle), Ziva qualified as the fastest overall (on average) for the coveted SKINS event. In this elimination-style race, the top 10 12-year-old girls—each having raced all four strokes—competed in rounds determined by a spinning jenny, which selected the stroke to be swum each time. Ziva held her nerve and raced strategically to win the SKINS, showcasing her versatility and composure under pressure.

Later in the meet, Ziva added another highlight, breaking her own 100m backstroke record with a time of 1:11.23, shaving 0.39 seconds off her previous mark.

Paige also delivered an exceptional meet, achieving five first placings out of her six events, with strong performances across both freestyle and butterfly disciplines. She used the meet as an opportunity to race a variety of events in preparation for her next challenge—representing New Zealand as part of the Tri-Series Development Team in Australia this week.

All the best, Paige—Whanganui Swimming is behind you every step of the way!

13/7/25