Junior swimmers lead All Stars team in Zonal Championships

Swimmers from ten clubs from the Wellington and Manawatu regions will come together to compete for the All Stars at the 2016 New Zealand Zonal Championships this weekend.

With the generous support of the Brian Perry Charitable Trust the exciting one-day competition is back on 13 February 2016 in Auckland and comprises four zone teams with each including 20 swimmers 15 years and under and 20 swimmers 16 years and over.

The team’s senior squad is led by Junior Pan Pacific teammates Liam Albery (Capital) and Ben Walsh (Porirua City) while Kiwi West Aquatics club mates Mya Rasmussen and Xavier Hill will be ones to watch for the All Stars in the junior squad.

Both Rasmussen and Hill were multi medalists at the 2015 New Zealand Age Group Championships. Rasmussen also currently holds three New Zealand long course age group records while Hill has two New Zealand short course age group records.

Another adding strength to the junior squad is SwimZone’s Chelsey Edwards who won five individual titles at last year’s national age group championships.

The 2016 Zonal Championships will take place at the Sir Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre in Auckland on Saturday 13 February and will be live on Sky Sport 4 from 5.00pm with 160 swimmers vying it out for their respective zones.

Senior Team: Ben Walsh (Porirua City), Blake Gunn (Kiwi West), Devlin Forsythe (Karori Pirates), Hamish Trlin (Capital), Sam Turner (Raumati), Chris Smithers (Kiwi West), Kyle Barnes (Capital), Liam Albery (Capital), Cameron Blair (Kiwi West), Lewis Clareburt (Capital), Alex Pampalone (SwimZone), Bronagh Ryan (Porirua City), Elena Forlong (Wanganui), Jenna Buchanan (Kiwi West), Ruby Heath (SwimZone), Maggie Burns (Capital), Nikki Chapman (Capital), Carina Doyle (Capital), Rebecca Moynihan (Raumati) and Sarah O’Connor (Karori Pirates).

Junior Team: Thomas Watkins (Karori Pirates), Richard Sasse (SwimZone), Sean Register (Karori Pirates), Atakura Julian (Capital), Mitchell Cockburn (Masterton), Xavier Hill (Kiwi West), Bronson Llyod (Porirua City), Harrison Neal (Karori Pirates), Tom Berry (SwimZone), Shavendra Somaweera (Tawa), Aliesha Mitchell (Karori Pirates), Chelsey Edwards (SwimZone), Paris Cutler (Ashurst Aquanauts), Kate Sims (Masterton), Lucy England (SwimZone), Macy Burns (Capital), Mya Rasmussen (Kiwi West), Noemi Leinfellner (Masterton), Shannon Schimanski (Wanganui) and Chelsea Parker (Tawa).

CAPTION: Mya Rasmussen in action.

NZ Zonal Championships