Trophies for swimmers
WHS students' Alex Forlong - Outstanding Sportsmanship;
Michael Hiroti - Most Outstanding Male swimmer
at the Wanganui Swimming Club's prizegiving on Sunday 31 July.
Above photo are all of the Wanganui Swimming Club's trophy and medal recipients.
It was another busy year for the Toyota Wanganui Swimming Club members to take stock of when they met for the 2015-16 prizegiving at the Wanganui Squash Club on Sunday.
As well as recognising the club's handful of top stars who are medal contenders at national championships, the awards also recognised some strong attendance numbers for what is now Wanganui's sole swimming club - with the big events being the Spring Meet last August, the Signature Meet in February and the club championships in May and June.
In highlights on the national scene, standouts Elena Forlong, Shannon Schimanski and Sarya Lower qualified for the NZ Short Course championships in August 2015.
In age group competition, Schimanski won in the 100m and 200m breaststroke gold while Forlong gained the 200m fly bronze, before coming sixth in the open finals where Schimanski also placed in the Top 10 for her events.
Twenty club swimmers went to the Wellington Long Course championships in January, winning medals and gaining personal best times.
Georgia Abraham, Cayden Earles and Nikki Furlong flew the club flag at the NZ Junior championships in February, with Abraham winning 50m butterfly bronze.
Four swimmers qualified for the NZ Division II competition in Invercargill in March, with Alex Forlong and Grace Hogan able to go.
Forlong won the 200m butterfly bronze, while Hogan came fourth in the 200m backstroke and was selected in the Wellington Regional Swim Team.
Elena Forlong, Lower and Schimanski qualified for April's NZ Open Championships and along with Niamh Hogan they also went to the NZ Age Group Champs that same month.
Lower won silver in 100m and 200m freestyle, Schimanski took silver in the 50m breaststroke and was fourth in 100m breaststroke, while Forlong came fourth in 200m fly and fifth in the 100m version.
Swimming teams run on the strength of their volunteers and the club recognised Brenda O'Shaughnessy and Neil Forlong for their hard work and service, while the occasion was also marked by the granting of life membership to Steve Ross.
Awards winners 2015-16
Club Championships and Age Group trophies.
9 years and under - Boys: 1. Regan Carver; 2. Eli Abraham; 3. Allan Thongskui. Girls: 1. Aria Bannister; 2. Charna Craig; 3. Pyper Bisset.
10 years and under - Boys: 1. Jack Robertson; 2. Henry Carver; 3. Jurek Sosnowski. Girls: 1. Georgia Abraham; 2. Nikki Forlong; 3. Saskia Kortlever.
11 year age group - Boys: 1. Ethan Bryers; 2. Benjamin White; 3. John Bryant. Girls: 1. Cayden Earles; 2. Cheyenne Nightingale; 3. Greer Ching.
12 year age group - Boys: 1. Lennart Nowak; 2. Phoenix Grammaticoiannis; 3. Will Southee. Girls: 1. Jorja Whiteman; 2. Jessica Craig; 3. Grace Walford.
13 year age group - Boys: 1. Blair Gowan; 2. Mathew Hodges. Girls: 1. Amelia Cronin; 2. Ella Pudney; 3. Anna Simpson.
14 year age group - Girls: 1. Sarya Lower.
15 year age group - Boys: 1. Michael Hiroti. Girls: 1. Shannon Schimanski; 2. Alexandra Forlong; 3. Grace Hogan.
16 year age group - Boys: 1. Vitek Sosnowski. Girls: 1. Elena Forlong; 2. Jaimee Schimanski; 3. Georgia Kerins.
Most Improved
Freestyle - Boys: Jack Robertson; Girls: Amelia Cronin. Backstroke - Boys: Benjamin White; Girls: Lucy Sommerville. Breaststroke - Boy: Michael Hiroti; Girls: Cheyenne Nightingale. Butterfly - Boy: Hamish Dodds-McIntosh; Girls: Niamh Hogan.
Overall - Boy: Ethan Bryers; Girl: Alex Forlong.
Special Awards
Outstanding Junior Performance for 2016: Georgia Abraham.
The Bignell Cup - Most Outstanding Male: Michael Hiroti; Most Outstand Female: Shannon Schimanski.
The Beacon Bacon Cup - Outstanding Sportsmanship for 2016: Alex Forlong.