NZSS Swimming Championships

by Alison Fitch

5 August 2022

Milana Tapper Gold

St Peter’s School had 15 swimmers represent us at NZ Secondary School Swimming Championships at Waterworld Hamilton over the 4 days of last week. Congratulations to our team of Savanna Bourke, Katelyn Flynn, Maia Williams, Natalie Johnson, Megan Price, Katie Taylor, Keana Woodfield, Jakob Kampenhout, Spencer Cleland, and Milana Tapper, Alyssa Tapper, Sophie Hunter, Olivia Ballantyne, Tayla Hart, Chelsea Lomas.

Swimming is a little different from most sports with a large amount of our racing done as club representation, so the kids love it when they get a chance to wear their school colours at a big meet like this. 750 swimmers from all over NZ took part over the 4 days, making for some long days for our team, but they took to it like troopers and smiled all the way to the end.

First, our Medal Winners led by Milana Tapper who picked up her first GOLD medal and national secondary schools champion title for the 200 Freestyle, 2 bronze medals in the 400 freestyle and 100 freestyle along with key roles in our 2 medal winning relays to leave the meet with %100 personal best swims and 5 medals across the week.

Alyssa Tapper Bronze Medal

Alyssa Tapper also picked up 1 individual medal a Bronze in the 400 Freestyle and was instrumental in our 2 relay medals with large personal best swims over a number of events.

Our women’s 4 x 50 freestyle 16 and over team - Savanna Bourke, Katelyn Flynn, Milana, and Alyssa combined to pick up a hard-fought bronze medal.

Finally, our 8 x 50 freestyle team, full of fine young future swimmers, picked up a glorious Bronze medal.
Savanna Bourke, Milana Tapper, Katelyn Flynn, Tayla Hart, Maia Williams, Olivia Ballantyne, Keana Woodfield, and an absolute ripper final leg from Alyssa (swimming 2 seconds faster than she ever has before) for BRONZE.

Additional highlights

Spencer Cleland – all personal best swims and posting a further 2 national open qualifying swims for our nationals at the end of this month. Final results 16^th 100 back, 9^th 200 Fly, 19^th 50 Breaststroke, 21^st 50 Fly, 10^th 200 Back, 11^th 50 back, 14^th 100 Fly, and 17^th in 200 IM.

Keana Woodfield – A superb qualifying swims for her first nationals in a few weeks and again a key contributor to our young relay team's successes. BRONZE in 8 x 50 freestyle relay, 5^th in 4 x 100 freestyle relay 5^th in 4 x 50 free relay, and 5^th in our 4 x 50 m

edley relay. 15^th in 100 IM, 12^th in 100 back, 11^th in 100 freestyle, 18^th in 50 butterfly, 13^th in 50 back, 12^th in 200 Free, and 10^th in 50 Freestyle.

First-time year 9 swimmers

Jakob Kampenhout - 15^th in 50 Free, 23^rd in 50 backstroke, 16^th in 50 Fly, and 19^th in 50 Breaststroke. Katie Taylor 5^th in our 15 and under ladies’ relay, 49^th in 100 Freestyle, 65^th in 50 Fly, 50 back 47^th= and 45^th in the 50 free.

Megan Price - the last of our first-year swimmers also completed the meet with a 100% personal best rate with 31^st in the 50 Breaststroke, 42^nd in the 50 Butterfly, 31^st in the 50 backstroke, and 39^th in the 50 Freestyle.

Further individual results

Milana Tapper - GOLD 200 freestyle, Bronze 400 freestyle, and 100 Freestyle. Bronze in 4x50 free relay and 8 x 50 free relay. 4^th in 2 x 50 free relay, 9^th in 4 x 50 medley relay, and 12^th in 4 x 100 free relay. 7^th in 100 IM, 7^th in 50 Breaststroke, 11^th in 50 butterfly, 5^th in 200 IM, and 4^th in 50 Freestyle.

Alyssa Tapper – BRONZE in 400 Free, BRONZE in 8 x 50 free relay, and BRONZE in 4 x 50 Free relay. 5^th in 4 x 100 free relay and 5^th in 4 x50 medley relay. 100 IM 15^th, 11^th 100 back, 5^th in 100 Free, 24^th 50 butterfly, 11^th in 50 Back, 13^th in 200 IM, 6^th in 200 Free, and 16^th in 50 Freestyle.

Savanna Bourke - bouncing back up from an injury hiatus raced a limited program but was valuable to our team’s success – BRONZE in 8 x 50 Freestyle relay, BRONZE in 4 x 50 freestyle relay, 4^th in 2 x 50 freestyle relay, and 9^th in 4 x 50 medley relay. 16^th = in 50 Breaststroke and 11^th in the 50 freestyle.

Katelyn Flynn - giving her all for her final year as an STP student again vital to our team's success – BRONZE in 4 x 50 free relay, BRONZE in 8 x 50 freestyle relay, 9^th in our 4 x 50 medley relay, and 11^th in our 4 x 100 free relay. 21^st in the 100 Freestyle, 18^th in 50 Fly, 10^th in 50 backstroke, and 18^th in 50 freestyle.

Maia Williams – 9^th in the 4x50 relay, 12^th in the 16 and over 4x 100 freestyle relay, BRONZE in the 8x50 Free relay, 21^st+ 100 backstroke, 25^th 50 Breaststroke, 26^th 100 Free, 20^th in 50 butterfly, 21^st in 50 backstroke, 18^th in 100 Fly and 22^nd in 50 freestyle

Olivia Ballantyne – BRONZE in our 8 x 50 freestyle relay, 5^th in our 4 x 50 medley relay, 5^th in our 4 x 50 free relay, and 5^th in our 4 x 100 free relay. 18^th in 100 Back, 33^rd in 100 free, 12^th in 200 backstroke, 29^th in 50 Fly, 20^th in 50 backstroke, and 24^th in 50 Freestyle.

Tayla Hart – Fighting back from a few health setbacks in 2022 Tayla was an absolute lynchpin for our BRONZE in the 8 x 50 freestyle relay and 5^th in the 4 x 50 free relay. Also 38^th in the 50 free and 33^rd in 50 Breaststroke.

Sophie Hunter – 5^th in our 4 x 50 medley relay and 5^th in our 4 x 50 freestyle relay, 37^th 50 Breaststroke, 26^th in 100 IM, 12^th in 50 butterfly, 22^nd in 50 backstroke, and 30^th in 50 Freestyle.

Chelsea Lomas – 14^th in 200 Breaststroke, 21^st in the 50 breaststroke, 31^st 50 Butterfly, 32^nd in 50 backstroke, and 44^th in the 50 freestyle.

Natalie Johnson – Stepping in for an injury in our senior relay she had a great swim off limited training finishing 12^th in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay. 34^th in the 50 backstroke and 43^rd in the 50 freestyle.

The team finished 2^nd out of 20 on the girl's relay division trophy and 23^rd out of 64 schools in the co-ed division. Great job team!!

Thanks to our volunteer parents over the 4 days all in official roles so that our swimmers could get the national qualifying times they have worked for with Mrs. Tapp.