Swimmers compete at Swimming BOP Juniors

These posts after a swim meet are always incredibly difficult and it is simply not possible to always mention everyone and it is not always about who wins medals or ribbons. You can all be congratulated for your poolside etiquette, your tenacity in challenging weather today, the smiles seen on your faces, the support shown to your teammates, and the hundreds of thank you's to the officials that a number of you said. We are all involved in a fantastic sport that offers so many opportunities and life learning skills.

Saturday was a brilliant day of racing and sunshine, Sunday was also a brilliant day of racing and some athletes that had disappointment on Saturday came back and raced with real determination. Toby Huston was one of these athletes so Toby well done. Special mention to our 12 year olds Ben Keaney, Waiuru Rika, Kristy Lyall all Performance C and Rebecca Reid who recently has been promoted to Performance B and training partner Skye Cox. You guys are in an age group that has a number of talented swimmers from around the Bay that train double plus some compared to what most of you are doing so the medals and ribbons were very difficult to achieve but WOW those personal best times were amazing. Damon Cowie (12) we lost count of your medals and you achieved what all swimmers are after that 100% personal best times in all entered events. Samantha Irving well done on your medals.

Now for the 11 year olds. 15 athletes from this age group with 127 individual swims. Another interesting fact all but 2 athletes attended and raced at the BOP Junior Championships for the first time. Emily Spear and Milla Theobold collected between them 23 medals. Great job girls. First timer Clay Fookes not only achieved the 100% personal best benchmark but also took home 3 medals. Great 100 Free Clay. Hunter Clarke took home a swag of medals and a number of personal best times. Other medalists were Kapua Warbrick and Oliver Huston. Fantastic results and look forward to working with you both as we move forward. Top 8 placings went to Max Harvey, Rebecca Lyall, Haylea McCormick, Alyssa Pingol, and Molly Sinclair. Sequoia Dobson, Tiana Nicholls, Ruth Rika and Stella Win your raced well and posted some great personal best times and challenged yourselves and came out winners

10 year olds and again all first timers at the BOP Champs but also a number of you were first time competitors at a Swim Meet. Medalists were Jasmine Hagan and Annelyse Cowie. Very proud moment for you girls. Top 8 placings went to Sam Baldwin and Alexandra Cameron. We are very excited about Allie Clarke and Jessica Burborough's future and you can be proud of how you raced and in January 2015 at the next meet we promise the weather will shine.

And the cute factor - the 9 year olds. You guys all rock and the number of medals and Top 8 placings by this group at their first Championship meet was mind blowing. Theo Harvey led the charge with four podium placings, Lina Stalhut 2 Bronze and 1 Silver, Toby Huston 2 podium finishes, and Dion Wright a Bronze medal. Caitlin Newson achieved 3 Top 8 placings, Jayden Nichols 2 Top 8 placings, Bailee Swinyard a Top 8 placing and Stella Weston 3 Top 8 placings. All these swimmers had numerous personal best times.

Swim Rotorua Parents and supporters it is your turn. 
Words are powerless to express our gratitude for your help this weekend. The plates of food for the officials were incredible, the offers of help to put up gazebos this morning in the rain was simply outstanding especially with broken equipment. Those parents who sat exams, sat on lanes timekeeping and stood on lanes as IOT's made the meet possible for the athletes to race. Thanks Deena for co-ordinating the officials. The packing of everything away at the end of the Meet was an all time record. The Team in the kitchen with the consistent supply of Coffee, savouries was appreciated and well received by those working pool deck. It was challenge today in the rain and I hope you have all dried out by now although the shoes may take a little longer. Our Team Managers and Coaching Staff on behalf of the athletes thanks. Mark Mead and Dirk Stalhut thanks for ensuring there was cover for the athletes when they arrived Saturday morning by erecting the cover Friday evening and securing it down (thanks also to the Mums who helped earlier) and the Team of Dad's that brought extra cover over the weekend and arrived early to help with setup. Stacey what a great job of announcing - lots of great comments. (Henry may have to find another role). David Spear you again did an outstanding job as Starter/Referee/Judge of Stroke. You work tirelessly at every meet and always one of the last to go but you left us all in awe by bringing the "Coffee machine". You probably should ask for commission from Nespresso as there may be a few brought for Xmas after the sampling. Apologies if anyone has felt left off - the brain is going to sleep and the memory is failing. 
There are a few special thanks that Swimming Bay of Plenty has asked we pass on: 
Special thanks to the Clarke Family. Thanks to Wayne and Logan for securing the touch pads and Tania (assisted by Wayne) for sorting all the medals and ribbons. Thanks also to Max and Theo Harvey's Mum for the great job on Saturday on the medal table. This next list of people been acknowledge are just a little bit special as they were pooldeck the entire weekend before warmups and after the meet concluded and had no swimmers competing in fact most have no swimmers competing period. They are critical to Events such as this so thanks Ellen Sherwood (Referee), Fiona Paignton (Referee) Wendy Hill (IOT), Darrin and Helena Walsh (IOT), Joanne Pederson (IOT), Arthur Faulkner and David McNarama (AOD Operators), and Maryanne Roling (Computer Operator).