Division II Swimming Competition - Day 3

It was six of the best for Manawatu teenager Elen Barr after the third day of the New Zealand Division II Swimming Competition in Dunedin.

Three hundred swimmers from 86 clubs around the country are competing in the long course (50m) competition at Moana Pool for swimmers aged from 13 years.

The 14 year old Barr, from the Dolphin Swim club in Feilding, is the leading individual swimmer medal tally with six medals from the first three days of the competition.

She added two more medals tonight, with victory in the 200m butterfly and second place in the 100m freestyle. This brings her tally to four gold medals, one silver and one bronze.

Best of the females in action today was a swimmer who has travelled the farthest to the competition. Neve Clapton from the Bay of Islands club enjoyed two wins today in in the 16-18 age group, taking out the 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke. This made it four wins from four swims for the 16 year old.

Her efforts were matched in the boys’ competition by local swimmer Ben Carr who also won two gold medals today. The 15 year old from the Neptune club displayed excellent endurance to win two of the most gruelling of events, the 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley.

Carr also has four medals, the same as Timaru’s Riley Taylor (4 gold), Wharenui’s Ben Sutton (3 gold, 1 silver), Tawa’s Shavendra Somawera (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) and Ngapuni’s Lathan Hutchinson-Walter (1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze).

Wanaka’s Noel Bisson leads the medallists with five in total after a win in the 100m freestyle today to go with his three silvers and one bronze.

Wharenui still lead the club competition on 1012 points, well clear of the local Neptune club on 517, the TBSS Central City club from Auckland on 481, Tawa on 436 and Howick Pakuranga on 416.

Leading club points:

Wharenui (Canterbury) 1012, Neptune (Otago) 517, TBSS Central City (Auckland) 481, Tawa (Wellington) 436, Howick Pakuranga (Counties Manukau) 416, Aquagym (Canterbury) 310, Te Awamutu 304, Napier Aquahawks 292, Aquabladz (Taranaki) 281.5, Pukekohe 264.

Public are welcome to attend the competition which finishes tomorrow with heats from 9am and finals from 6pm each day.

CAPTION: Ben Carr from Neptune Swimming Club on his way to winning the 200m Butterfly at the 2015 NZ Division II Competition. (Credit: BW Media)

NZ Division II