Cutler twins claim points trophies
The Manawatu open championships at the Lido at the weekend was attended by 140 swimmers from 20 clubs, representing Palmerston North, Ashhurst, Feilding, Foxton, Levin, Kapiti, Wellington, Dannevirke and Wairarapa.
Swimming Manawatu presents five trophies at the end of this meet.
The Hodges Cup is awarded to the junior girl who gains the most points over the age group championships and the open championships.
Similarly, the Rush Cup is awarded to the junior boy.
This year Cutler twins Ryan and Paris, 14, from Ashhurst Aquanauts won his competition.
This is only the second time they have won trophies at the same time at the same meet.
They each won the 8-year-old Manawatu age group cups in 2010.
The trophies for the fastest swim in the 50m men’s and 50 metre women’s freestyle events, which is to be held by Manawatu swimmers only, is also awarded.
The men’s event was won by Tawhiti Temomo from Raumati Raptors in a time of 25.84 seconds, with Cameron Blair and Xavier Hill second equal in 26.22 seconds to take the cup as the first Manawatu swimmers to finish.
The women’s event was won by Rebecca Moynihan, also from Raumati Raptors, in 27.10 seconds and the second swimmer home was Paris Cutler in 27.65 seconds to take the cup as the first Manawatu swimmer.
The Harkess Cup is awarded to the premier club based on points and this year it was awarded to Kiwi West Aquatics. It was collected by John Hopcroft, 11, on behalf of the club.
Kiwi West has held this cup for 32 years in a row. With a team of 40 swimmers rivalling only the Wellington Clubs, the smaller Manawatu clubs, although putting up a valiant effort, are outnumbered.
We have now finished our Manawatu long course season of regional championships and head now to national level meets for which swimmers have qualified during the past year.
The first national level competition is the division II meet, this year at Rotorua.
The team of 14 swimmers to represent Manawatu is: Campbell Jackson (Ashhurst), Isabella Meta (Dolphin), Maraea Graham (Feilding), Stacey and Ashleigh Gunn, and Chelsea Parlato (Dannevirke), Alina Croad, Jimi Aungiers, Hayley Duggan and Katie and Hana Kerins (Levin), Charlotte and Jake Thompson, and Michan Hunter (PNASC).
They will join swimmers from Wellington in a combined All Stars team at the event.
The team leaves later in the week to begin racing on Sunday.
As well as competing for medals, the swimmers at this competition are a striving to make the qualifying times for the division I national age-group championship meet in Wellington in early March.
With school swimming sports in full swing, many students will be realising they are better at this swimming thing than they thought.
If you have been having lessons and feel that you are up to the challenge of competitive swimming, please contact your local club via the Swimming Manawatu or Sport Manawatu web sites and have a go.