Duo put in solid performances at Invercargill meet

DOWN TIME: Whanganui swimmers Grace Hogan (left - former WHS student) and Alex Forlong (WHS student) take a break from the pool at the NZ National Division 2 meet in Invercargill.

Two Whanganui swimmers held their own at the New Zealand Division 2 National swim meet in Invercargill at the weekend.

Fifteen-year-olds Alex Forlong and Grace Hogan were the only two from the Subway Wanganui Swim Team to compete at the meet for swimmers who did not achieve national age group qualifying times.

Forlong won bronze in the 200m butterfly and posted personal bests in the 400m individual medley and 800m freestyle and finished 12th in the 100m butterfly, reflecting her prowess over the longer distances.

Hogan just missed out on silver and bronze in the 200m backstroke after getting pipped on the line to finish less than a second from the podium. She also narrowly missed making the final of the 50m backstroke when finishing 10th overall and 11th in the 100m backstroke.

Both were named in the Swim Wellington regional team finishing fifth in the medley in which Hogan swan the backstroke leg and sixth in the freestyle that Forlong competed.

Meanwhile, the Wanganui Swim Team will host its annual club meet at the Splash Centre this weekend which has attracted swimmers from other clubs, including Wellington.

The meet is the last chance for swimmers to qualify for the age group nationals next month.

(Wanganui Chronicle 16/3/16)