Simpson, Kean star for age group swim team

West Auckland’s Starn Simpson and Wellington’s Gareth Kean were the best of the young New Zealand swimmers in the second age group test against Australia across the Tasman today.

The development squad faced a tough challenge, with an eight hour bus trip from the first test venue of Woy Woy on the New South Wales central coast to Wagga Wagga in the south west.

The powerful Australians again dominated the second test, despite some strong performances by the New Zealanders.

Kean (Capital), 16, took out the final of the 100m backstroke with his winning time of 54.80s establishing a New Zealand age group record.

In today’s second session of the second test, Kean backed up by finishing second in the 200m breaststroke, just pipped for the win in a fast finish. His time of 1:58.55 was another national age group record, the first 16 year old kiwi to go under the two minute mark.

Simpson, 17, established a new meet record in winning the 100m breaststroke in 1:02.68 in the first session. The West Auckland Aquatics swimmer went on to finish second in the 200m breaststroke in 2:21.64.

The pair were also part of the medley relay team that finished second to Australia Green, who managed to pip the meet record set by the kiwis in Wagga Wagga by just 1/100th of a second.

The other placings went to Samantha Lee (Capital) who was third in the 400m freestyle and Bianca Rowley (Coast) third in the 200m individual medley.

“We have come here this year with a particularly young team, with only two swimmers who have been to this meet before,” head coach Simon Mayne said.

“Most of this team will be eligible for the Trans Tasman for the next two years, while the Australians are a little older and have more depth.

“It is an extremely valuable development programme for New Zealand and we are beginning to develop depth with our own domestic series.”

Both Orinoco Faamausili-Banse and new world junior champion Daniel Bell competed in last year’s Trans Tasman series, and this year have qualified for the Beijing Olympics.

The team travelled on to Canberra tonight in readiness for the final test with sessions tomorrow night and Saturday morning.

New Zealand performances (all Australia unless stated):

Men 100m backstroke: Gareth Kean (NZL) 54.80, 1 (NZ Age Record); M Ackermann 56.49, 2; T McEwan 57.69, 3.
100m breaststroke: Starn Simpson (NZL) 1:02.68, 1 (meet record); K To 1:03.49, 2; L Kinneally 1:06.30, 3.
400m freestyle: J Ashwood 4:16.21, 1; B Bennett 4:18.01, 2; Samantha Lee (NZL) 4:21.39, 3.
200m backstroke: A Kelshaw 1:58.39, 1; Gareth Kean (NZL) 1:58.55, 2; Declan Potts 2:02.74, 3.
200m breaststroke: K To 2:16.73, 1; Starn Simpson (NZL) 2:21.64, 2; L Kinneally 2:25.19, 3.
200m individual medley: J Legge 2:17.03, 1; Z Diamond 2:20.14, 2; Bianca Rowley (NZL) 2:20.70, 3.
Men’s 200m medley relay: Australia Green 1:43.75, 1 (meet record); New Zealand (G Kean, S Simpson, D Potts, J Magnussen) 1:44.69, 2; Australia Gold 1:46.55, 3.