Howick Pakuranga, North Shore leads way in junior swim championship

Andy Cheong played a lead hand in a powerful opening day for the North Shore club at the New Zealand Junior Swimming Championship in Wellington tonight.

Cheong, 11, won the boys’ 200m backstroke and the 100 m butterfly at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre tonight, the only swimmer to record two wins on the opening day.

That helped elevate the North Shore club into second place after the first of four sessions. Howick Pakuranga club, showing the benefit of strength in numbers across the board, lead on 267.5 points from North Shore on 178, defending champions United on 142 and Tawa on 140.

Cheong was the only swimmer to bag two wins today, taking out the 12 and under 100m butterfly in 1:12.73 and the 200m backstroke in 2:35.62.

Waikato’s Georgina McCarthy (Ace), 12, and Alice Waldow (United, Auckland), 11, claimed three medals in the girls’ competition, each claiming a gold, silver and bronze medal.

Howick Pakuranga’s Ryan Oliver, 11, was the only boy to win three medals today, finishing second in the 200m backstroke and third in the 50m breaststroke and 100m butterfly.

The championships, for the second time staged at the single venue of the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre, has attracted 457 swimmers from 83 clubs throughout the country.

Competition started today with two sessions on Saturday from 8am and 4pm on Saturday and one from 8am on Sunday.