Medal haul for St Paul’s Swim Team

St Paul’s Swim Team placed fifth from 68 schools in the co-ed section of the New Zealand Secondary School Swim Championships held at the National Aquatic Centre in Auckland from 22-25 July.

Laura Littlejohn (Year 12) was the standout competitor winning eight gold and two silver medals in the senior girl’s category. She also set two New Zealand age group records, eight Waikato Age Group records and two Waikato Open records.

Individual medals were won by Luca Zabel who won bronze in the senior boys 100m butterfly and Ben Haskell who won bronze in the senior boys 200m backstroke to gain his first individual medal at a national meet. In the 16 year old boys, Boston Tordoff won two golds in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and silver in the 50m breaststroke.

Sam Peoples had nine top ten finishes, with two fourth place finishes in the 100m and 200m freestyle for 16 year old boys. Charlize Tordoff had two top ten finishes in the senior girls 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke.

In the relays Luca and Laura took the national title in the senior mixed 2 x 50m freestyle. Charlize and Laura took silver in the senior girls 2 x 50m freestyle, Charlize, Boston, Luca and Laura took silver in the senior mixed 4 x 50m medley. Charlize, Sam Peoples, Luca and Laura took silver in the senior mixed 4 x 50m freestyle. Lastly in the 8 x 50m freestyle mixed relay, Adrian Wong, Alina Zabel, Nikita Coleman and Sam White joined in to finish a very creditable fourth in New Zealand.

The team of Charlize Tordoff, Laura Littlejohn, Alina Zabel, Nikita Coleman, Sam White, Luca Zabel, Sam Peoples, Ben Haskell, Adrian Wong, Matthew Chanwai, Boston Tordoff, Sam Schulze, Neo Urlich and Will Peoples was coached by Graham Smith.