By Julie Walls - Focus Media
Fiordland Swimming Club hosted a successful meet between Town vs Country with promising aquatic action and many excellent results for swimmers at the Fiordland Community Swimming Pool.
Ten swimmers of the 31 swimmers of the Country Team were from Fiordland, Willa McPherson-Martin 8 (2x 3rd placings) Eva Douglas 9 (1x 3rd placing), Reid Calder-Smith 9, Harrison McIntosh 10 (1x 2nd, 1x 3rd placing), Jayden Shaw 10 (1x 1st placing),
Mereana Hodson 11, Ruby Douglas 11, Harvey Sutherland 11, Fergus McPherson-Martin 12 (1x 2nd, 2x 3rd placings), Lucas Sutherland 13 (4 x 1st placings). These swimmers assisted in the Country Team winning the trophy against the Town Team on the day.
This was to be the first meet of the Southland Town vs Country meet which were a regular fixture around the region over a decade ago.
Swimming Southland said: “This Town vs Country meet held in Te Anau was in a different format compared to what happened that many years ago. It is a newly formed competition, where we have set the meet up around what we feel is needed for upcoming swimmers”.
“There is still the Town and Country Trophy which has been in Swimming Southland for many years, whereby the points from the town swimmers and country swimmers from all meets held over the season are tallied up and the trophy is awarded based on those points”.
Southland selected 32 swimmers for the Town team made up from the Invercargill clubs and 31 swimmers for the Country team made up from the remaining clubs in the Southland region.
The eligible age groups were: 9y and under, 10y, 11y, 12y and over. The races were run as mixed gender and in two age group divisions: 10y and under, 11y and over.
Swimming Southland Development Officer and Coach of Town Team. Katrina Garrett said: “I was thrilled with how the meet went in Te Anau. It was a great opportunity for our up-and-coming swimmers and also those new to racing to compete. Not only racing for themselves but also as part of a team. Lots of swimmers swam events they haven't raced before and the big smiles on their faces summed up the day perfectly”.
Fiordland Swimming Club President Wendy Day said, "Fiordland Swimming Club felt the meet ran smoothly, with the swimmers acquitting themselves well. Feedback has been positive, and Swimming Southland are hopeful that the Town v Country meet will become at least an annual event showcasing rural community pools and clubs”.
“We are grateful to the families who travelled to attend, and also to all the people who helped out with timekeeping and other meet duties. Swim meets take a lot of personnel to run and rely heavily on volunteers - it would have been difficult to do this without Swimming Southland's support. Thank you to Katrina Garrett, whose enthusiasm made the event happen.
Congratulations to our local swimmers, whom the Club is very proud of, and our Head Coach, Tracey Braven, who was coach of the winning Country team”, she said.
