The 2024 Harlequins Zonal Secondary School Open Water Swimming Championships were held over the weekend in conjunction with the Harcourts Cooper & Co Harbour Crossing event hosted in the Banana Boat NZ Ocean Swim Series. The day got started with the sun rising above Rangitoto with some beautiful conditions for the first Harbour Crossing event held in eight years.

A total of 24 students took part in the Secondary School side of racing across two distances. The long swim (2.6km) had 23 students brave the iconic swim and 1 student take on the mid-distance (1.1km).

The first swimmer across the line was Daniel Kregting (Mt Roskill Grammar - 34.57) as he was part of the lead pack for the overall series event to claim the 16-19 year boys long swim title ahead of Remy Burns (Waiuku College - 41.30) and Isaac Morris (44.37). Guan Tyagi (Albany Senior High - 42.37) took home the gold in the 14-15 year boys event, with Enoch Wu (Kingsway School - 44.21) and Connor Davies (Takapuna Grammar - 56.21) rounding out the podium. In the 12-13 years boys, Rourke De Bruin (Westlake Boys' High - 48.33) took home the gold.

In the girls events, Olivia Bates (Epsom Girls Grammar - 36.34) was the first female overall in the series to finish the long swim across the harbour, taking out the 16-19 years age group ahead of Liv Kay (Saint Kentigern College - 43.08) and Abigayle Wells (Takapuna Grammar - 1:01.28). Isabella Evans (Pukekohe High - 44.00) took home the 14-15 years title with Amogh Tyagi (Albany Senior High - 44:17) and Cayleigh Blackburn (Westlake Girls' High - 48.59) the silver and bronze respectively. Maeve McDonnell (Pakuranga College - 42.35) won the 12-13 years girls ahead of Lucia Katongo (Marist College - 46.13) and Elysia Rollo (St Ignatius of Loyola - 52.50).

The mid-distance swim (1.1km) had just the one swimmer, with Callum Barr (Wentworth College - 23.33) claiming the gold medal.

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Article added: Tuesday 12 March 2024