St Paul’s swimmers dominated the Waikato secondary schools swimming championships. The team were named ‘overall points champions’ of the regional event, beating 28 other schools.
The boys’ squad achieved 670 points placing them second in the boys’ division while the girls’ squad achieved 233 points which placed them in sixth in the girls’ division. The combined squad scores secured first place for St Paul’s with 903 points; 107 points ahead of second place.
“It was an exhausting day of heats, finals and timed finals but the squad held its nerve and composure right to the end,” said St Paul’s Head of Swimming, Roger Bell.
St Paul’s won an exceptional seven gold medals, seven silver medals and thirteen bronze medals.
Three records were also broken:
- Thomas Griffin (Year 10) broke two records, his own junior boys’ 200m individual medley record with a new time of 2:24:67 and the junior boys’ 200m freestyle in 2:07:41.
- Ben Littlejohn (Year 9) broke the junior boys’ 50m butterfly record in 00:28:03.
Bell said the squad had a “truly sensational season” and that all swimmers, irrespective of their individual results, “can feel very proud of this remarkable accomplishment.”
Individual podium results included:
Thomas Griffin – First in the junior boys’ 200m individual medley (new record), junior boys’ 200m freestyle (new record) and junior boys’ 100m individual medley. Second in the U14 boys’ 100m freestyle relay and U14 boys’ 100m medley relay
Ben Littlejohn – First in the junior boys’ 50m butterfly (new record), junior boys’ 100m butterfly and junior boys’ 100m backstroke. Second in the U14 boys’ 100m freestyle relay and U14 boys’ 100m medley relay
Shay Dickson (Year 12) – First in the intermediate boys’ 100m butterfly and second in the intermediate boys’ 50m butterfly
Jacob Gibbs (Year 10) – Second in the U14 boys’ 100m freestyle relay, U14 boys’ 100m medley relay and third in the junior boys’ 50m backstroke
Jess Allen (Year 10) – Second in the U14 boys’ 100m freestyle relay and U14 boys’ 100m medley relay
Jimmy Christey (Year 13) – Second in the senior boys’ 50m freestyle. Third in the senior boys’ 50m butterfly, 15+ boys’ 100m freestyle relay and 15+ boys’ 100m medley relay
Connor Egan (Year 13) – Second in the senior boys’ 100m freestyle. Third in the senior boys’ 100m freestyle, 15+ boys’ 100m freestyle relay and 15+ boys’ 100m medley relay.
Mackenzie Batters (Year 11) – Second in the intermediate girls’ 50m backstroke. Third in the intermediate girls’ 50m butterfly and intermediate girls’ 100m butterfly.
Olivia Warlow (Year 12) – Second-equal in the senior girls’ 50m butterfly.
Rudi Grace (Year 13) – Second in the senior boys’ 100m backstroke.
Kate Littlejohn (Year 12) – Third in the senior girls’ 50m backstroke and senior girls’ 100m backstroke.
Brendan Hunt (Year 11) – Third in the intermediate boys’ 50m freestyle and intermediate boys’ 100m backstroke.
Marcus Hamilton (Year 12) – Third in the 15+ boys’ 100m freestyle relay and 15+ boys’ 100m medley relay.
Georgia Dobbe (Year 12) – Third in the senior girls’ 200m freestyle.
