Waikato Dio emphatic NZSS Swimming Champs winners

The winning NZSS Swimming Championships Waikato School for Girls team. PHOTO: Simon Watts / BW Media.

​The previous two NZSS Swimming Championships girls events came down to a two-school race between Waikato Diocesan School for Girls and Auckland Diocesan School for Girls.

In 2017, Waikato Dio won the top girls’ school title with 955 points to Auckland Dio’s 903 points. In 2018, the Aucklanders beat their Waikato counterparts with 1115 points to 1004.5 points.

This year Waikato Dio and Auckland Dio once again finished first and second, but this time the winning margin for winning school Waikato Dio was emphatic.

Waikato Dio won the four-day meet that was contested in their ‘home’ pool at Waterworld in Hamilton with 1391 points. Auckland Dio were second with 691, with Westlake Girls’ High School third with 554.
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The NZSS Swimming Championships is a team event. Points are awarded in every race, with the school with the most points at the end declared the winner. Twenty six points are awarded for a first place in a race, 21 for a second, 17 for a third and so on a sliding scale. 

The winning Waikato Dio 8 x 50m relay team (centre), with second placed Auckland Dio and third placed Westlake GHS. Simon Watts / BW Media.

​Waikato Dio team manager Jane Schilov said that having the meet in their own backyard helped as they were able to field a larger team. But also targeting the relays proved a winning strategy.

“We were disappointed to miss out last year so wanted to present strong relay teams in a hope that would help us take out top school this year,” said Schilov.

“Having two teams in the 8 x 50m relay was exciting and the hype around this particular event was great to be part of. Watching our A team pull away and take the win was very impressive.

“We were leading the whole way by quite a significant margin. In 2017 when we took out top girls school it did come down to one of the final relays which we won and that pushed us to the top of the points. Having a strong group to compete in all the relays as well as having A and B teams for each relay was fantastic,” Schilov added.

Waikato Dio fielded an 18-strong team, some of the swimmers doing 10-12 events and then relays on top of that.

Laura Littlejohn and Gina McCarthy were standouts for the winning school, but they had ten swimmers achieve a top 8 placing in more than one event each which contributed to the points.

The swimmers were well supported throughout the NZSS meet.

“Thanks must go to all the parents that supported the girls through the event by team managing and cheering them on, said Schilov.

“It was also very special watching these girls cheer each other on and show pride in swimming for their school.”

Waikato Dio’s swimmers have only had a brief break from the pool, with the next event for many being the New Zealand Short Course Championships in Auckland in the first week of the school holidays.

Schilov said that swimming is the main focus for most of Waikato Dio’s swim team, who mostly swim for clubs outside of school, but some play other sports for the school as well.

In the boys section, Westlake Boys’ High School were also dominant, winning the overall boys’ school trophy with 1136 points to second placed Tauranga Boys’ College with 693 and third placed Auckland Grammar School with 575.

Mount Albert Grammar School won the overall Co-ed school with 858 points to second placed Pakuranga College with 617 and third placed Rangitoto College with 557.
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There were 27 girls, 24 boys and 69 co-ed schools competing in the 2019 NZSS Swimming Championships. 

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Waikato Diocesan top 8 results:
 
14 Year Old Girls
Amelia de Lautour
2nd 100m IM
7th 200m Freestyle
7th 100m Freestyle
5th 200m Backstroke
3rd 100m Butterfly
5th 400m Freestyle
8th 100m Backstroke
1st 50m Butterfly
5th 200m IM
8th 50m Freestyle
 
15 Year Old Girls
Laura Littlejohn
1st 100m IM
1st 200m Freestyle
3rd 200m Butterfly
1st 100m Freestyle
3rd 50m Breaststroke
2nd 100m Butterfly
6th 400m Freestyle
3rd 100m Backstroke
2nd 50m Butterfly
1st 50m Freestyle
Minnie Glover
4th 50m Backstroke
4th 100m Freestyle
4th 200m Backstroke
8th 100m Butterfly
5th 100m Backstroke
Kelly Lewis
3rd 200m Freestyle
3rd 100m Freestyle
6th 100m Butterfly
5th 400m Freestyle
6th 50m Butterfly
6th 50m Freestyle
 
16 Year Old Girls
Hannah Morgan
6th 200m Breaststroke
4th 100m Breasstroke
5th 50m Breaststroke
Sarah Wilson
2nd 100 IM
5th 100m Breasstroke
6th 50m Breaststroke
4th 100m Butterfly
4th 50m Butterfly
5th 200m IM
Holly Isaac
5th 100M IM
4th 50m Backstroke
8th 50m Breaststroke
5th 200m Backstroke
4th 100m Backstroke
 
17-18 Year Old Girls
Gina McCarthy
2nd 200m Breaststroke
2nd 100m IM
2nd 200m Freestyle
2nd 50m Backstroke
3rd 200m Butterfly
3rd 100m Freestyle
2nd 50m Breaststroke
1st 200m Backstroke
1st 400m Freestyle
1st 100m Backstroke
1st 200m IM
3rd 50m Freestyle
Sarah Miller
5th 100m IM
3rd 200m Freestyle
2nd 200m Butterfly
4th 100m Freestyle
3rd 200m Backstroke
3rd 100m Butterfly
4th 400m Freestyle
4th 100m Backstroke
5th 50m Butterfly
3rd 200m IM
5th = 50m Freestyle
Madison Chapman
5th 200m Freestyle
5th 100m Freestyle
6th 200m IM
5th = 50m Freestyle
 

Waikato Dio team members cheer on a winning performance in the relays. PHOTO: Mike Whalen / Key Imagery.

Waikato Diocesan Relay results: 
 
Girls 15 & Under
200m Medley Relay
● 1st - Minnie Glover, Laura Littlejohn, Amelia de Lautour and Kelly Lewis
400m Freestyle Relay
● 1st - Minnie Glover, Brooke Pyle, Kelly Lewis and Laura Littlejohn
200m Freestyle Relay
● 1st Minnie Glover, Brooke Pyle, Kelly Lewis and Laura Littlejohn
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Girls 16 & Over
200m Medley Relay
● 1st - Holly Isaac, Hannah Morgan, Sarah Miller and Gina McCarthy
● 8th - Xanthe Wainui-Mackle, Sarah Wilson, Madison Chapman and Charlotte Gilchrist
400m Freestyle Relay
● 1st - Sarah Wilson, Sarah Miller, Madison Chapman, Gina McCarthy
● 5th - Holly Isaac, Amelia de Lautour, Hannah Morgan and Xanthe Wainui-Mackle
200m Freestyle Relay
● 2nd - Sarah Wilson, Sarah Miller, Madison Chapman and Gina McCarthy
● 6th - Olivia Bayne, Hannah Morgan, Holly Isaac and Amelia de Lautour
Girls 13-18 8 x50m Freestyle Relay
● 1st - Kelly Lewis, Sarah Miller, Minnie Glover, Madison Chapman, Sarah Wilson, Brooke
Pyle, Gina McCarthy and Laura Littlejohn
● 6th - Holly Isaac, Sarah Gutsell, Olivia Bayne, Estella Wainui-Mackle, Xanthe Wainui-
Mackle, Charlotte Gilchrist, Amelia de Lautour and Hannah Morgan

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