Wanaka swimmers Sophie Fairbairn (12) and Gregor Findlay (11) hit the jackpot when they won six medals at the New Zealand junior championships in Wellington last weekend.
The pair were the only members of the Wanaka club at the national meet and between them they collected enough competition points to become the highest-scoring Otago club at the championships.
Their efforts gained the Wanaka club a 25th national ranking, followed by Taieri (29th) and Waves (33rd).
Wanaka Swimming Club coach Fi Hezinger described her charges as dedicated trainers who were in the pool four to five times a week.
Fairbairn, a year 8 pupil at Mt Aspiring College, raced five events and was second in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke behind North Shore's Yeonsu Lee.
The previously unranked swimmer took 10sec off her previous best time for 200m (2min 58.57sec) "and is now ranked second in the country for 12-year-old girls in breaststroke events", Hezinger said.
"She absolutely blew everyone away. She is really committed. She does everything I ask her and never complains."
Findlay, a year 7 pupil at the college, was third in the 100m and 200m backstroke and improved his national backstroke ranking from sixth to third.
"He's full of energy and is just full of beans," Hezinger said. "To obtain the highest Otago club ranking with just two swimmers was an excellent achievement."
Qualifying for the 2013 age-group championships "takes the heat off them. They have a whole year to perfect their backstroke and breaststroke," he said.
The other three Otago medallists at the championships were all from city clubs.
Courtland Ellis (Taieri) won three medals in the boys aged 12 grade: silver in the 50m backstroke (33.59sec) and bronze in the 200m (2min 40.87sec) and 400m (5min 42.42sec) medley.
Tame Govaerts (Zenith) also won three medals in the same grade: silver in the 100m breaststroke (1min 21.59sec) and bronze in the 50m breaststroke (36.59sec) and 50m freestyle (28.67sec).
Caitlin Deans (Waves) won bronze in the 400m freestyle (4min 51.31sec) in the girls aged 12 grade.
