NZ Short Course 2018

Hey Sundevils,

A quick summary of what was a hugely positive week for our Sundevils team in Auckland.

Below is the top 8 placings from New Zealand Short Course Nationals.

• EMMA GODWIN (Open Women) 🥇200 Back, 🥈100 Back (HBPB Record), 🥉50 back (HBPB Record), 5th 50 Free
• MATT SEXTON (16yr) 🥇100 Back, 🥈50 Back, 🥉200 Back, 5th 100 Breast
• MIHARO JONES (16yr) 4th 50 Breast, 4th 100 Breast, 5th 200 Breast
• NICK MACKY (17/18yr) 4th 50 Free, 5th 50 Fly
• LARS BENSON (16yr) 5th 50 Fly
• SIDNEY DUNFORD (16yr) 6th 100 Fly, 8th 50 Fly
• GRACE JONES (17/18yr) 5th 50 Free
• WILLY BENSON (Open Men) 5th 50 Fly
• OPEN MENS RELAY 4x50 Free Relay 6th (Matt, Willy, Nick, Lars)

Not listed are the many other large PB's. It was very impressive to see the whole team stand up and be counted.  Especially first time nationals reps Miharo and Hannah Brown who had battled their way on to this team through dedication and hard work.  Even outside of their official events, we had some outstanding time trials at the end of warm up sessions.  Blowing their PB's in non-qualified events away. 

A new high for the Sundevils club with Emma named to the World Short Course Championship team to compete in China (December 2018).  It had been since Jon Winter was named on the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games that our club has had a current member represent at a pinnacle meet such as this.  Emmas' winning 200back time of 2.07:4 was well inside the time needed to qualify for this team.

A special thanks to our team managers David and Paula for running around after the team for the week helping to make these outstanding performances possible.

I was very proud, not only with how they all raced, but how they interacted with one another and how they conducted themselves as Sundevils across the whole week.  We have a special club and with so much focus on creating better young people, life skills and a positive culture ... it is great when this flows through to help create some top notch elite performances.

Looking forward to seeing the rest of the team in action this weekend at the Greendale meet.

Thanks,
Willy