The 2024 NZ Secondary School Open Water Swimming Championships were held over the weekend in conjunction with the Legend of the Lake event hosted in the Banana Boat NZ Ocean Swim Series.

It was a beautiful morning with the stars shining brightly as competitors started arriving, with Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) producing stunning conditions once again for the championships to be held.

A total of 131 students took part in the championships across three distances. The long swim (3.5km) had 59 students complete the lap of the lake, 47 students completing the mid-distance event (1km) and 20 students take on the short-distance (500m).

In the long swim, Daniel Kregting (Mt Roskill Grammar - 41.52) put on an impressive display as he claimed the 16-19 year boys title, as well as comfortably taking out the overall series event. Kinnon Broekhuizen (Hamilton Boys' High - 42.19) crossed the line for silver and Michael Smith (St Patrick's College Silverstream - 45.13) the bronze. Jack Rust (New Plymouth Boys' High - 44.08) took home the gold in the 14-15 year boys event with a strong swim, ahead of Ollie Kennett (Horowhenua College - 45.05) and Harry Pool (Tauhara College - 46.34) rounding out the podium. In the 12-13 years boys, Jackson Rowlands (New Plymouth Boys' High - 47.15) took home the gold, with James Heap (St Paul's Collegiate Hamilton - 50.16) winning the silver and Finn Bevington-Crean (Papamoa College - 52.55) the bronze.

In the girls long swim, Sophie Hay (Waikato Diocesan School for Girls - 42.35) was the first female overall in the series to finish the long swim and the third swimmer out of the water overall in a super impressive swim to take out the 16-19 years age group. Olivia Bates (Epsom Girls Grammar - 45.38) was the second female overall to claim the silver ahead of Emma Bendall (Tararua College - 48.40) for bronze. Eliana Brown (Awatapu College - 47.31) took home the 14-15 years title as the third placed female in the series overall, with Marina Nadilo (Queen Margaret College - 47.55) and Hayley McIntyre (Waikato Diocesan School for Girls - 50.17) the silver and bronze respectively. Maeve McDonnell (Pakuranga College - 51.16) won the 12-13 years girls ahead of Gemma Hay (Waikato Diocesan School for Girls - 51.24) and Sunny Brugh (Cambridge High - 55.26).

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Article added: Monday 18 March 2024