Wiegersma, Baker lead Trans-Tasman swim battle
Southland’s Natalie Wiegersma and Manawatu’s Cara Baker led the New Zealand swimming charge on the first day of the Trans-Tasman Tri-Series in Adelaide last night.
The pair both won twice in the two-meet opening round in Adelaide against the best age-group swimmers from across the Tasman in a six-meet, three-leg series in Adelaide, Wagga Wagga and Canberra.
New Zealand swimmers gained 17 individual medals in Adelaide and set four new national age group records.
The 16-year-old Wiegersma (Spirit of Southland) took out the final of the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley as well as finishing second in the 100m butterfly. She set a new national age group record clocking a meet record 1:01.33 in the 100m backstroke, under the previous time of Commonwealth Games medalist Melissa Ingram.
Baker (Palmerston North) completed a gruelling schedule with victories in the 800m freestyle and 400m individual medley along with two third placings in the 200m individual medley and 400m freestyle. The 15-year-old set an age group record in the 400m medley, ironically just under the previous record held by Wiegersma.
The other win went to talented Aucklander Amini Fonua (Roskill) who won the exciting 50m breaststroke skins to go with a second placing in the 200m breaststroke and third in the 100m breaststroke.
The other two national age groups fell to exciting 14-year-old prospect Cameron Burrows from Howick Pakuranga who clocked 8:26.19 finishing third in the 800m freestyle and 2:08.17 in the 200m butterfly.
Two other swimmers enjoyed podium doubles. Emily Thomas (Enterprise Gisborne) was second in the 100m backstroke and third in the 200m backstroke while John Gatfield (Watties Swim City) second in the 200m backstroke and third in the 100m backstroke.
The other podiums went to Tash Hind (Capital) third in the 200m freestyle, Cameron Burrows (Howick Pakuranga) third in the 800m freestyle and Carrie Smith (Spirit of Southland) third in the 200m butterfly.
The third and fourth meets in the short-course series are in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday and Thursday with the final two meets in Canberra on Friday and Saturday.
For further information:
Ian Hepenstall, Sports Media NZ, Tel 0275 613181, E: ianhep@xtra.co.nz
