One hundred and eighteen students from Central’s small schools put their swimming skills to the test for the combined school swimming sports at Alexandra Pool on Wednesday.

Fourteen swimmers came from Millers Flat School, 35 from Omakau School, 24 from Poolburn School, 41 from Roxburgh Area School and four from Tarras School.

The day's races started at 11am and finished at 2.30pm, swimmers were aged from year five to year eight. 

Year seven girls 25m backstroke. PHOTO: The Central App

Races were divided into year groups, boys and girls and timed. Strokes included freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly as well as 100m individual medley and team freestyle relays.

Omakau School’s Isabelle Gwatkin (10) and River Paterson (10). PHOTO: The Central App

Poolburn School students (from left) Ollie Murdoch (9), Emmett Nicolson (9) and Cameron Gare (11). PHOTO: The Central App

The four students from Tarras were (from left) Ella Bennett (8), Matilda Reed (8), Anton Bakx (10) and Bodhi Watson (10). PHOTO: The Central App

Swimmers who qualify will go to the Dunstan zone swimming sports, and then Central Otago (CO) zone championships held in Wānaka later in the year.

 The CO zone championships give students a chance to compete against winning swimmers from Upper Clutha and Wakatipu schools. 

The success of the small schools swimming day is due to many parent and teacher volunteers who assisted with timekeeping, monitoring strokes, recording results, marshalling, and transport. 

Seating alongside the lane pool, full to the brim with swimmers, teachers and parents, and passionate cheering greeted each race. PHOTO: The Central App

Central Otago Primary School Sports Association (COPSSA) is the organisation responsible for overseeing the core sports of athletics, cross country, orienteering, swimming and triathlon for its 27 member primary schools within Central.

COPSSA’s boundaries are Makarora in the north, Ranfurly in the east, Millers Flat in the south and Glenorchy in the west, and includes Queenstown, Frankton, Arrowtown, Cromwell, Wānaka, Hāwea, Tarras, Clyde, Alexandra, Roxburgh, Omakau and Poolburn areas.

On Monday, March 18, primary school sports continue as Central youngsters will run, jump and throw in the Dunstan zone athletics sports at Molyneux Park. 

The first event is at 10.15am and the finish time is about 4pm. Spectators and whānau are welcome to support athletes.