Swimmers qualify for SI champs
The second of the Wayne Evans Memorial Series was held last weekend. This was the last local meet before the South Island Swimming Championships so was a final opportunity to qualify without going to the Otago Winter Championships.
The loneliest swim of the meet would have been the 1500m freestyle in which there was only one entry.
Jackson Herrick, 13, from Orca Swimming Club was attempting this event for the first time and had the difficult task of chasing a qualifying time in his first attempt and by himself.
Herrick did well and went 19 seconds under the qualifying time for NZ Short Course Championships in October, in a time of 18:30.44.
His time was the sixth fastest in NZ this year in his age group for this event.
Before the start of the event the swimmers who have qualified and are travelling to Blenheim for the South Island event were introduced to the assembled spectators.
At the moment a team of nineteen swimmers will be travelling to Blenheim to compete at these champs accompanied by coach Lisa Pankhurst.
After making his return to competitive swimming at the first of this series William Howie, 17, of the Murihiku Swimming Club turned out again.
Howie had taken a break from swimming and it is good to see him return.
He had been one of the promising lights of Southland swimming when he was younger, having medalled at NZ juniors and setting Southland records.
The way he swam in the weekend indicates that he is on the way back and will soon be pushing the best of his age group.
Another swimmer returning to competitive swimming is Hannah Morgan, 19, also of the Murihiku Swimming Club.
Like Howie, Morgan had been a very promising swimmer when she was younger and still has a lot to offer the sport.
Morgan has entered to compete at the Otago Winter Championships in August, so it looks promising for her comeback.
It is good to see these swimmers returning as a number of the more senior swimmers aged over 15, had left the sport at the end of last year.
Over the next few weeks the Invercargill clubs, Orca, Murihiku and Collegiate will be starting up their Learn to Swim programmes for the new 2017/18 season.
Waverley Swimming Club is the exception as they run their Learn to Swim programme for all four school terms.
The other side to these clubs apart from their Learn to Swim programmes, is that a swimmer has to be affiliated to a swimming club to be allowed to compete at competitive swimming meets.
*Fenton Herrick is a former member of the Swimming Southland management committee and father of Jackson Herrick.