The club won five medals at the Oceans 17 national championships at Mount Maunganui for junior competitors, and finished 14th overall out of 46 teams. It was represented in 15 finals, with three competitors in the under-13 male beach sprint and four in the under-13 female surf race.
Thirteen-year-old Erika Fairweather led the way, with three individual medals and a team one, while Aidan MacRae and Olivia Andrew brought home medals, as well. Fairweather has been compiling an impressive CV of achievements and was key to helping St Clair finish as the highest-placed South Island club.
She won golds in the under-13 diamond, run swim run and surf races. Both the diamond and surf races had been closely contested, although she led the whole way. She also teamed up with Olivia Andrew to finish second in the under-14 tube rescue. The club’s fifth medal came via Aidan MacRae, who came third in the under-13 beach sprints.
St Clair competitors Pierre Tapsell and Marshall Macready finished fourth and sixth in the final respectively. The event was held over four days and the St Clair team had 23 of about 1000 competitors.
St Clair accumulated 13 points across the event. Mount Maunganui was the winner with 56 points, Omanu finished second with 42 and Waikanae was third with 28.
For Fairweather there was another national championships around the corner. The Kavanagh College pupil splits her time between the pool and surf and is to compete at the national age group swimming championships later this month. Last year she broke New Zealand records in the 400 and 800m freestyle. She would compete in those, alongside the 200 and 400m IM and 200m butterfly at the championships.
