The Star: October 11, 2018

42 Thursday October 11 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
The Star
Sport
Big medal haul for Canty swimmers
Hurley sets
record in the
1500m freestyle
• By Jacob Page
JASI SWIM Club’s Quinton
Hurley was the best of
Canterbury’s swimmers at
the national short course
championships in Auckland.
The 17-year-old won a bounty
of medals but it was his gold in
the 1500m open freestyle that
was the most impressive. He
broke a Swimming Canterbury
West Coast record time of 15min
20.19sec.
It was also a FINA B qualifying
time, earning him a spot on the
New Zealand team heading to
the FINA world championship at
Hangzhou, China, in December.
It will be his third international
event this year.
Quinton also made his mark
in the 400m freestyle, taking
out the gold medal. He followed
this up with bronze in the men’s
open final. He also managed two
age-group silvers in the 200m
and 800m freestyle.
Canterbury was represented
by 86 swimmers from 13 clubs
at the event, which finished on
Saturday.
QE II Swim Club teammates
Tom Dreaver, 16, and Kaylee
Jackson, 17, also brought their “A
game” to the event.
Tom claimed gold in the 50m,
100m and 200m breaststroke, as
well as gold in the 100m freestyle
STAR: Quinton Hurley has been selected for the New Zealand team after his efforts at the
national short course championships in Auckland.
PHOTO: SWIMMING NZ​
and silver in the 50m and 100m
butterfly and the 200m
individual medley.
Kaylee began her week with
a bronze medal in the 100m
breaststroke open final. She then
followed it up with gold in the
50m breaststroke, which gained
her a place in the open final
where she won silver. Kaylee
also took a bronze in the 100m
individual medley
Not to be outdone, some
great swims from Waitaha’s Zach
Knowles, 14, saw him win gold
in the 50m freestyle. He also won
gold in the 100m freestyle, then
added to his haul with silver in
the 50m butterfly, and bronze in
the 50m backstroke.
The region’s six paraswimmers
also impressed with
some outstanding efforts of
their own, claiming a massive
19 medals between them. Standout
performer, Waitaha’s Ella
Benn, 14, swam her way to gold
in the 100m, 200m and 400m
freestyle para-swims, as well
as gold in the 50m backstroke.
Ella also took silver in the 100m
individual medley and 200m
individual medley, and bronze in
the 50m freestyle.
Jasi’s James Currie, 14, won
gold and set a new SCWC
age group record in the 200m
breaststroke in a time of 2min
28.59sec. He also took silver
in the 100m breaststroke and
bronze in the 50m breaststroke.
Aquagym’s Cameron James,
24, earned SCWC open records
in the 50m backstroke with a
time of 25min 15sec and in the
100m backstroke with a time of
54min 50sec. Clubmate Louis
Clark, 17, won silver in the 400m
and 1500m freestyle. He also
won bronze in the 400 individual
medley.
Wharenui’s Thomas
MacGibbon, 15, won gold in the
50m backstroke, silver in the
50m freestyle, and bronze in
the 100m backstroke and 100m
freestyle.
Jasi’s Katie McBride, 16, took
silver in the 50m butterfly, 50m
backstroke and 100m
backstroke.
Aquagym’s Natasha Johnson,
16, won gold in the 50m
breaststroke and silver in 50m
freestyle. Clubmate Niki Clulow
14, earned bronze in the 50m
freestyle.
Jasi’s Caitlyn Close, 14, won
bronze in the 200m butterfly.
Clubmate Baileigh O’Sullivan
won bronze in the 200m
butterfly.
The Jasi A relay team won
silver in the women’s 200m
medley relay.
Selwyn’s Celyn Edwards,
17, earned silver in the 50m
freestyle and 50m backstroke. He
also earned bronze in the 100m
butterfly.
His younger brother, Ieuan
Edwards, 15, won silver in the
50m breaststroke and 200m
freestyle. He also took bronze in
the 50m freestyle, and the 100m
and 200m individual medleys.
Teen bowls his way to Burnside singles title
THE BURNSIDE under-26
singles bowls tournament has
been won by Seamus Curtin
three years after he debuted at
the same event as a 15-year-old.
The Stokes Valley bowler
went undefeated throughout the
three-day tournament and beat
2016 champion Sheldon Bagrie-
Howley of Gore 21-17 in the final
on Sunday.
Curtin, 18, won all seven
of his section matches before
prevailing 21-20 in a tight
quarter-final against Finbar
McGuigan. He then defeated
Caleb Hope in a see-saw semifinal
21-17 to set up the final with
Bagrie-Howley who also went
through undefeated.
Bagrie-Howley dominated
early on to lead 8-3 after seven
ends. Both players produced
a series of bowls that saw shot
bowls and the jack move around
with the result being that the
ascendency at each end changed
with each shot played.
The 17th end proved to be
pivotal to the final result. Bagrie-
Howley held the shot adjacent
to the jack, but Curtin ran at
the head with his final bowl
removing the shot bowl and two
others from the head.
When the dust cleared, the
count was four to Curtin who
took the lead 16-13. Not to be out
done, Bagrie-Howley won the
next three ends to tie the game
16-16.
With both players producing
accurate draw bowls and
effective drives and run shots,
the crowd was enthralled until
the 24th end. With the score now
CHAMPION:
Seamus
Curtin won
the Burnside
under-26
singles
tournament
title on
Sunday
and was
presented
with the
trophy by
convenor
Kerrie Bruce
(left).
18-17, and both players
able to reach 21 shots, Curtin
played a great drive with the
last bowl of the end which
deposited the jack in the ditch,
netting him two shots and
denying Bagrie-Howley the three
he was holding.
The 25th end was the last of
the game. Down two shots on
the head, Curtin drew a toucher
with his last bowl. Bagrie-
Howley’s only chance was to
drive but it missed and gave
Curtin the 21-17 victory.