Mayfair Pools National Age Group Championships – Day 2 Wrap

Waikato’s Bradlee Ashby made it two from two at the Mayfair Pools National Age Group Swimming Championships in Wellington.

The championships at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre double as the official trials for swimmers to be considered for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii and the second Youth Olympics in China, both in August.

Ashby, 18, went under the qualifying time for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in the 400m freestyle last night and tonight won the 400m individual medley, also under the qualifying standard.

The quadrennial Pan Pacs involve full strength teams from the Pacific Rim including USA, Canada Japan and Australia as well as New Zealand.

Ashby clocked 4:26.52 which was nearly two seconds inside the qualifying mark, finishing well clear of Andrew Trembath (Neptune) and Liam Albery (Capital).

Meanwhile Taranaki’s Julian Weir grew his finger-nails just enough to better the qualifying mark for the Youth Olympics in the 100m freestyle.

The 18 year old from the Aquabladz club clocked 51.45, which was 1/100th of a second inside the qualifying time and .23 seconds inside the Junior Pan Pacs qualifying time.

He finished second behind Waikato’s Samuel Perry, who won in 50.76, but is too old for selection for both the Junior Pan Pacs and the Youth Olympics.

Perry’s time was 17/100ths of a second outside the national age group record set by Daniel Bell five years ago.

Perry grabbed a second title tonight when the St Peters swimmer took out the 17-18 years 50m butterfly in 25.10 from Bayley Main (Howick Pakuranga) while North Shore’s Wilrich Coetzee impressed in winning the 15 years final in 25.65s.

Junior world backstroke champion Gabrielle Fa’amausili (Roskill) claimed her first victory of the meet with she took out the 14 years 100m freestyle in 58.32s, a time good enough to win the 15 and 16 years finals.

Auckland’s Georgia Marris (United) won the 17-18 years final in 58.16s from clubmate Aimee Moss.

Outstanding Tasman prospect Sam McKenzie, 14, claimed the 100m freestyle title in his age group in 53.81, just outside his pending national record time while Gisborne’s Joshua Taylor-Martin (Enterprise Cars) won the 15 years title in 52.85, just 6/100ths of a second outside Brad Herring’s 16 year old national record.

Youth were to the fore in the 50m butterfly with 16 years winner Rebekah Bradley (United) and 15 years champion Emily Rennell (Jasi) proving the fastest, both clocking 28.65s for their winning times.

The championships continue until Saturday.

CAPTION: Bradlee Ashby in action tonight. (Credit: BW Media)

NZ Age Groups