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Nine New Zealand swimmers qualified for semifinals on the second morning of heats at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne today.

Gold medalist Moss Burmester had no time to dwell on his success last night, when he was back in the pool in the first event of the day where he and North Shore clubmate Corney Swanepoel qualified in the 50m butterfly. Swanepoel was the fifth fastest in 24.23 and Burmester 11^th quickest in 24.64, both close to their personal bests, for tonight’s semifinals.

Hannah McLean and Melissa Ingram went through in the heats of the 100m backstroke. McLean, a finalist at the world championships last year, was fourth fastest in a handy 1:02.52 behind the three Australians and Ingram eighth qauickest in a personal best 1:03.16.

``It was fantastic to be competing. Everything is going to plan. I wanted to work in to things and have a solid swim, and step it up again tonight,’’ Mclean said. She said the squad wanted to feed of the energy created by Burmester’s success.

Dean Kent and Glenn Snyders made it through in the heats of the 100m breaststroke with Synders 12^th fastest close to his personal best in 1:03.90 and Kent slightly disappointed with his second half to be 14^th in 1:03.97.

Tenager Lauren Boyle, who was eighth in the 200m freestyle, was joined by Helen Norfolk and Alison Fitch as semifinalists in the 100m freestyle.

Andrew McMillan, fifth in the 200m butterfly, set a personal best but missed qualifying for the final of the 200m freestyle.