Girls make impact in capital - April 2016

TOP PERFORMERS: Subway Wanganui Swim Team members Elena Forlong (WHS - left), Niamh Hogan (WHS), Shannon Schimanski and Sarya Lower (WHS), did the club proud at the National Age Group Championships in Wellington.

THE SUBWAY Wanganui Swim team may have been low on numbers at the National Age Group Championships in Wellington last weekend, but all four were big on performance.

Sarya Lower won two silvers, in the 14-year-old girls' 200m individual medley (IM) and 100m freestyle, both in Whanganui record times. In both races she was second to Wellington's Chelsea Edwards who has won New Zealand and Australian age group titles and is one of New Zealand's finest young talents in any age group.

Shannon Schimanski won silver in the 15-year-old girls' 50m breaststroke. Her time was beaten by only two swimmers at the meet, one being the 17-18-year-old champion.

Other top 10 placings included Lower's fifth in the 400m IM, seventh in 50m freestyle and ninth in 100m butterfly. Lower swam personal best times in every event she competed in.

Schimanski was fourth in 100m breaststroke ( fifth fastest time in the competition), eighth in 200m breaststroke and 10th in 50m backstroke.

Elena Forlong (17-18 girls) finished fourth in 200m butterfly and fifth in 100m butterfly.

Niamh Hogan (15-year-old girls) improved four places in the 200m backstroke to finish 18th at her first full nationals, which was a solid showing. All four girls got 11th in the 16-and-over 4x100m club medley relay and 16-andover 4x200m freestyle club relay. This was a satisfying result given three of the girls were swimming up an age group.

As a club, the locals finished equal 26th overall for girls out of 63 clubs, achieving this with only four swimmers. To put this in perspective Raumati, who 26th equal with us, had nine female swimmers.

(Wanganui Chronicle 27/4/16)