Capp, Webby lead Aquaknights in Zonal Swim Championships

Long distance specialists Nathan Capp and Charlotte Webby will add their international racing experience to the Aquaknights swim team for next month’s Zonal Championships in Auckland.

The exciting one-day competition on 8 February in Auckland comprises four zone teams with each including 20 swimmers 15 years and under and 20 swimmers 16 years and over. The competition, which will pit the best of each age group from throughout the country, proved an outstanding success in his its debut 15 months ago and with the generous support of long time swimming supporter, The Brian Perry Charitable Trust, is back in 2015.

Capp, who competed at the FINA World Short Course Championships late last year, is joined in the senior men by 2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championship team members Bradlee Ashby and Julian Weir.

Ashby had an impressive outing at the Junior Pac Pacs in August last year collecting bronze medals in the 400m individual medley and 100m butterfly.

Also providing international racing experience to the senior men’s side is London 2012 Olympian and New Zealand record holder Daniel Bell.

Webby, who competed in the 2014 Pan Pacific Championship open water event, will lend her experience to the senior women’s team while Youth Olympic Bronze medallist Bobbi Gichard adds strength to the junior women’s squad.

The Aquaknights team comprises 12 clubs from throughout the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Hawkes Bay Poverty Bay regions.

The 2015 Zonal Championships will take place at Auckland’s Westwave Aquatic Centre on Sunday 8 February and will be live on Sky Sport 4 from 5.00pm with 160 swimmers vying it out for their respective zones.

The 2015 Aquaknights team is:

Senior: Joshua Taylor-Martin (Enterprise), Nathan Capp (Greerton), Julian Weir (Aquabladz New Plymouth), Daniel Caldwell (St Peters), Bradlee Ashby (Fairfield), Eliot Lundon-Moore (Aquabladz New Plymouth), Joshua Pickett (Otumoetai), Daniel Bell (Aquabladz New Plymouth), Cole McDowell (Thames), Stuart Graham (Napier Aquahawks), Charlotte Webby (Aquabladz New Plymouth), Danielle Waiari (Greerton), Brittany Taylor (Stratford), Jenna Barrett (Aquabladz New Plymouth), Kendall Reidy (Central Hawkes Bay), Maddie Mason (Napier Aquahawks), Helena Gasson (Fairfield), Chelsea Ouwehand (Te Awamutu), Emma Godwin (Heretaunga Sundevils), Claudia Ashby (Fairfield).

Junior: Blake Horne (Otumoetai), Benji Rowe (Otumoetai), Thomas Chaney (Otumoetai), Chris Johnson (Stratford), Zac Reid (Aquabladz New Plymouth), Andrew Jeffcoat (Fairfield), Daniel Christopher Barron (Otumoetai), Oisin Quinn (Aquabladz New Plymouth), Brendan Koevoet (Enterprise), Bruin Maunder (Napier Aquahawks), Libby Bradley (Greerton),  Ruby Adsett (Napier Aquahawks), Islah Kerr-Aim (Greerton), Kaitlyn Tippett (Aqubladz New Plymouth), Bobbi Gichard (Greendale),Maggie Franks (Central Hawkes Bay), Ruby Matthews (Otumoetai), Vanessa Ouwehand (Te Awamutu), Sophie Lewis (Fairfield), Saacha McCormack-Goeth (St Peters).

Coaches: Sue Southgate and Noel Hardgrave-Booth

CAPTION: Charlotte Webby in action. (BM Media)

NZ Zonal Championships