Strong week for Wanganui Swim team at Age Group Nationals

Whanganui High School student, Ethan Bryers holds up two of his three silver medals from the Aon National Age Group Championships last week.

It was a busy week for the Toyota Whanganui Swim Club members at the Aon National Age Group Championships, which were held at the Sir Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre and concluded last Saturday after four days of action.

Georgia Abraham, Cayden Earles, Amelia Cronin, Alex Forlong, Katie Ramage, Ethan Bryers had all qualified to fly the local flag in Auckland at the championships.

Bryers, 13, was the first to have success with a silver in the Boys 400m freestyle, being the first New Zealander home as the winner was an overseas competitor.

Cronin had joined the All Stars Zonal team for the 15-and-under race, and played her part in a bronze medal-winning effort.

That set the tone for the next couple of days of action, day and night sessions, as Earles placed well in a couple of finals, then got a personal best in the 200m breaststroke, while Abraham and Cronin set long course personal bests in the 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle respectively.

Bryers made the 400m individual medley final on the back of breaking his own Whanganui club record, while Earles went to the 100m breastroke finals with another Whanganui record.

Bryers made good on his form, taking his second silver of the meeting in the IM final, while Earles finished back in the pack for the breastroke but had nonetheless impressed as a 12-year-old in competition, soon coming fifth (and fourth Kiwi) in the 200m freestyle.

Moving onto Day 3 and again Bryers was on the podium with a silver medal, this time in the 1500m freestyle, while Cronin again swam above her national ranking to make the 100m butterfly final.

On the final day, Abraham showed medals aren't the only gauge of success after she climbed from a national ranking of 42nd up to 16th with her 50m backstroke efforts, just missing the Whanganui records.

Bryers made the 200m IM final and finished seventh (fifth Kiwi) with another personal best, which was only 0.4s away from the bronze medal in the packed field.

By Jared Smith
Wanganui Chronicle 28/4/18