Nick Lovell leads Waimea to Country & Town three-peat

Nick Lovell was the top-scoring swimmer at the Swimming Nelson Marlborough Country & Town Championship for the second year in a row, helping his Waimea Swimming Club win the Crest Trophy for the top country club for a third consecutive year.

Lovell, 10, who attends Birchwood Primary, won seven events and achieved four personal best times to win the Life Members Cup, presented by Ted Hockey in 1982. Waimea teammates Tayla Graham (16, Waimea College) and Nathan Limmer (18) also won their age groups, while Waimea's Hollie McKay (10, Birchwood) and Sophie Lovell (12, Broadgreen Intermediate) were the top country club swimmers in their age groups. 

Golden Bay's Finn Lewis (14, Golden Bay High School) was the top overall and top country club swimmer in his age group, with two first placings, three seconds, and six personal bests. Other country club gold medals were won by Golden Bay's Maya Lewis (12) and Kaikoura's Campbell Cleal (12).

Tasman Swim Club took home the gold medals for overall best swimmers in the 11-12 age group, with Piper Riley the top girl and Joshua Amyes the top boy. Blenheim also won two overall gold medals, Geena Langlois in the 13-14 girls and Kazuki Jahana in the 15 & over boys. 

Oliver Stark of Nelson South won an overall gold medal in the boys 13-14 year age group, while his teammate Skye Humphries won the girls 10 & under age group and set a new regional record for 10-year-olds in the 100m breaststroke. Skye's time of 1:32.80 broke the previous record held by her older teammate Ellie Rukuwai. Rukuwai herself got a new age group record in the 200 IM, breaking a record held by Madisen Stanley. 

Overall top swimmers by age group were: