Lyall Bay dominates State New Zealand Pool Championships
Monday 4 October 2010, 8:53AM
By Surf Life Saving New Zealand
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Wellington's Lyall Bay club effortlessly captured the overall club for a third year in a row at surf lifesaving's State New Zealand Pool Championships over the weekend.
In their home pool at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre in Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay's 83-strong squad of athletes helped them accumulate 1192 points over the three-day event.
Gisborne's Waikanae club finished second once again, totalling 874 points, while Paekakariki and Mount Maunganui scored 674 and 489 respectively.
Though Lyall Bay was a serious force in the junior ranks, the individual stars of the carnival were Titahi Bay's John Gatfield, who dominated the open men's arena, and Midway teenager Chris Dawson.
Gatfield won the 50m swim with fins title in 20.66, the 200m swim with obstacles in 2:01.98, the 100m rescue medley in 1:10.81 and the 50m manikin carry without fins in 36.38.
Dawson won the open 100m manikin carry with fins and picked up a string of podium finishes in the under-19 grade. He was later named as the male athlete of the carnival, with South Brighton's Marina Macartney the top female.
The 20-year-old won the open 50m manikin carry without fins, helped South Brighton win relay gold and grabbed two silver and four bronze medals.
With the 12-strong New Zealand team competing in this week's world championships in Egypt, an under-20 Australian development side also scored some decent results in the open grade.
Sam Bell led a clean-sweep of the medal positions in the 200m super lifesaver event, heading home compatriots Tim Schofield and Leigh Ryan, while Rachelle King, Jessica Lauricella and Emily Chaffey emulated that result in the women's division.
Piha pool specialists Nicholas Adams and Kirsty Wannan helped lift their club's open points tally while St Clair's Stephanie Laughton - a noted IRB racer - showed her versatility in the pool.
There was even some success for the southern-most surf lifesaving club in the world, Invercargill's Oreti, with team members Simon Cook, Luke Davies, Richard Harris and Thomas Howie) winning the 4x50m medley relay from mairangi Bay and Piha.
Harris then backed up to win the 100m manikin tow with fins in 1:03.26 from James Verreault (Mairangi Bay) and Rhys Applegarth (St Clair), while Laughton, originally from Oreti but now with St Clair, headed home her sister Carla in the women's race.
Final points: Lyall Bay 1192, Waikanae 874, Paekakariki 674, Mount Maunganui 489, St Clair 477.5, Piha 464, Papamoa 318.5, Westshore 303.5, South Brighton 221.5, Wainui 221, Mairangi Bay 170.5, New Plymouth Old Boys 135, Worser Bay 128, Titahi Bay 122, Waimairi 95, Midway 89.5, Sumner 85, Fitzroy 81, Oreti 76, Waihi 20, Omanu 16, Red Beach 13.