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New Zealand teenagers shone at the world ranked Santa Clara Invitational swim meet that finished in California today.

Rotorua’s Kane Radford, Auckland’s Kurt Bassett and Invercargill’s Natalie Wiegersma were in outstanding form breaking six national age group records as the New Zealand development squad completed their three-meet tour in California.

New Zealand swimmers qualified for 10 A finals, including some of the national elite squad who arrived for the first of their three meet schedule in the US.

Stars Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin were among the world champions to dominate at the Santa Clara with more than 10 titles between them.

Radford equalled his own national age group mark to clock 15:38.39 in finishing fourth fastest in the 1500m freestyle. This was the exact time he recorded in the Nova meet in nearby Irvine last weekend, which was eight seconds inside his old age group record for 16 years.

He also finished second in the 800m freestyle in a superb 8:11.25, among the fastest times ever by a 16 year old New Zealand freestyler.

Wiegersma displayed her allround class with three national age group records for 17 years. She clocked 4:45.19 to be fourth overall in the 400m individual medley, more than two seconds off the 1991 record established by Helen Norfolk.

She also finished fourth in the A final of 200m individual medley, breaking the age group record with her effort of 2:15.10.

The young Southlander set a new age group mark in the 100m butterfly of 1:02.02, finishing fifth in the B final.

Kurt Bassett (Laser Mt Eden) got a taste of the big time finishing sixth in the 200m backstroke, with his time of 2:02.37 breaking the national age group mark for 17 years. He raced in the final with Phelps who set a new meet record.

The young Aucklander also broke the age group mark winning the B final of the 100m backstroke in 57.09s.

North Shore’s Glenn Snyders started his tour well with a fourth placing in the 100m breaststroke final in 1:03.02 while clubmate Corney Swanepoel was eight in the 100m butterfly final in 54.90.

Liz Coster went close to her national open record finishing third in the B final of the 100m butterfly in 1:01.00 and won the B final of the 100m backstroke in a useful 1:02.61, a time that would have placed her fifth in the A final.

North Shore’s Melissa Ingram had a strong performance to finish sixth in the final of the 200m backstroke in 2:15.16.

The development squad now returns home while the elite team have two further meets culminating in the Janet Evans Invitational in two weeks.

Meanwhile the New Zealand age group team take on Australia in the Trans Tasman series over three meets this week.

NZ placings in finals, Santa Clara Invitational:

800m freestyle: Kane Radford (Rotorua) 8:11.25, 2.

100m breaststroke: Glenn Snyders (North Shore) 1:03.02, 4.

400m freestyle: Helen Norfolk (North Shore) 4:16.13, 12.

100m butterfly” Liz Coster (North Shore) 1:01.00, 12; Natalie Wiegersma (Southland) 1:02.07, 14 (NZ Age Record).

200m butterfly: Steven Kent (Watties Swim City) 2:05.85, 17.

400m freestyle relay: NZ Women (Norfolk, Coster, p Marshall, M Ingram) 3:51.17, 6; NZ Men (C Swanepoel, Kent, K Bassett, J Gatfield) 3:33.88, 8.

400m medley: N Wiegersma 4:45.19, 4 (NZ Age record).

100m butterfly: Swanepoel 54.90, 8.

100m breaststroke: Annabelle Carey (Aquagym) 1:13.97, 18.

200m freestyle: Norfolk 2:03.97, 6.

100m backstroke: Kurt Bassett (Laser Mt Eden) 2:02.37, 6; John Gatfield (North Shore) 2:06.39, 15.

100m backstroke: Coster 1:02.61, 10; Ingram 1:03.80, 13.

800m freestyle relay NZ Women (Norfolk, Ingram, Marshall, J Wiegersma) 8:18.69, 6.

1500m freestyle: Radford 15:38.39, 4 (NZ Age Record)

200m medley: N Wiegersma 2:15.10, 4 (NZ Age Record); Norfolk 2:18.87, 13.

200m backstroke: Ingram 2:15.6, 6; Penny Marshall (North Shore) 2:17.96, 17.

100m backstroke: Bassett 57.09, 10 (NZ Age Record), Gatfield 57.91, 13.

For further information:

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