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New Zealand’s best teenage swimmers made their mark with three victories in the world class Swim Meet of Champions in California this week.

Southland’s Natalie Wiegersma (pictured), North Shore’s Penny Marshall and the women’s medley relay teams all win championship finals at the famous Mission Viejo meet south of Los Angeles.

The national development squad are competing in three major US meets this month, with the New Zealand elite squad also heading to California culminating in the Janet Evans Invitational.

Evans was to the fore at Mission Viejo where American Kate Ziegler lowered Evans’ world record for the 1500m freestyle, the oldest world mark still standing.

The young Kiwi squad stood up well in the world class meet, qualifying for 13 championship finals including three wins, a second and a third.

The 17 year old Wiegersma, the world junior champion, won the 200m individual medley, leading from her favoured backstroke leg to clock 2:17.71, which broke Helen Norfolk’s national age group record.

Marshall showed her class to win the 200m backstroke title in 2:18.04, proving too strong as she fought through from fourth place at the 100m mark.

Marshall and Wiegersma were part of the women’s 4x100m medley relay combination with Commonwealth Games representative Annabelle Carey (Christchurch) and Joyce Wiegersma (Southland) winning in 3:59.85. Carey showed her experience to push the New Zealanders in the lead in her breaststroke leg and they were never headed.

Auckland’s Kurt Bassett, 17 was second in the 200m backstroke with a superb swim in 2:03.64, only 2/10ths of a second from the winner.

He combined with John Gatfield, Steven Kent and Kane Radford to finish third in the 400m medley relay in 4:01.81.

The team will compete in the South California Age Group Invitational at Irvine starting on Friday ahead of the Santa Clara Invitational next week.


New Zealand finals results, Swim Meet of Champions, Mission Viejo, California:

Female:
100m freestyle: Joyce Wiegersma (Southland) 59.21, 7^th
400m freestyle: Natalie Wiegersma (Southland) 4:25.17, 13^th; J Wiegersma 4:26.14, 15^th
800m freestyle: N Wiegersma 8:59.72, 6^th; Penny Marshall (North Shore) 9:08.13, 13^th; J Wiegersma 9:08.51, 15^th
1500m freestyle: J Wiegersma 17:34.91, 12^th
100m backstroke: Jessie Blundell (North Shore) 1:06.59, 10; Marshall 1:07.08, 15^th
200m backstroke: Marshall 2:18.04, 1^st
100m breaststroke: Annabelle Carey (Aquagym) 1:13.43, 11^th
100m butterfly: N Wiegersma 1:03.27, 3^rd
200m butterfly: N Wiegersma 2:19.91, 11^th
200m medley: N Wiegersma 2:17.71, 1^st (NZ Age record)
4x100m freestyle relay: NZ (N Wiegersma, Marshall, J Wiegersma, Blundell) 3:59.85. 8^th
4x110m medley relay: NZ (Blundell, Carey, N Wiegersma, Marshall) 4:26.14, 1^st

Male:
400m freestyle: Kane Radford (Rotorua) 4:03.40, 10^th.
800m freestyle: Radford 8:18.95, 7^th
1500m freestyle: Radford 16:11.91, 9^th
100m backstroke: Kurt Bassett (Laser Mt Eden) 58.44, 7^th; John Gatfield (Watties Swim City) 58.53, 8^th
200m backstroke: Bassett 2:03.64, 2^nd; Gatfield 2:09.62, 8^th
200m butterfly: Steven Kent (Watties Swim City) 2:08.69, 12^th
200m individual medley: Gatfield 2:10.21, 10^th; Bassett 2:12.35, 12^th
400m individual medley: Kent 4:42.11, 15^th
4x100m medley relay: NZ (Bassett, Gatfield, Kent, Radford) 4:01.85, 3^rd.


For further information:
Ian Hepenstall, Sports Media NZ, Tel 0275 613181, E: ianhep@xtra.co.nz