Marlborough Girls' College students switched from kooky costumes to togs and back again during the school's annual swimming sports day in Blenheim on Friday.

About 150 students arrived at the Marlborough Aquatic Centre in an array of colourful and quirky outfits like capes, overalls, spandex and even a couple of bumble bee and Care Bear character costumes.

All were in house colours; red for Awatere, yellow for Opawa, blue for Kaituna and green for Wairau.

Physical education head Ian Thomas said while the whole school traditionally took part, last week's sports were for students who opted to get involved as there wasn't enough room to fit everyone in.

Year 11 student, competitive swimmer and Blenheim Swim Club member Sara Gane planned to enter all 30 events.

The swimming sports was fun and gave her some bonus time to train for the national swimming championships later this month, she said.

"I just love it - it's like another training session for me."

Sara recently returned from the Nelson Marlborough Age-Group Swimming Championships in Nelson with five gold medals, one silver and a bronze.

On top of her own training in Blenheim, she is coached by Nelson-based Swimming New Zealand gold accredited coach and member of the New Zealand Swim Coaches and Teachers Association Andy Adair.

The under-19 champion was Greta Pearce, Sally McMath won the under-16 title, Gane the under-15 championship and Oriana Houra the under -14 crown. Records were set by McMath (U16 100m free, 100m back, 50m back, 50m breast), Gane (U15 100m free, 100m breast, 50m free, 100m back, 50m breast, Margot Martin-Babin (U16 100m breast) and Annaliese Raemaki (U14 50m free).

Results from the Marlborough Girls' College Swimming Sports held on February 15:

Under 19

Champion: Greta Pearce (A) 1st 100m breaststroke 1.31.54, 3rd 50m freestyle 36.36, 1st 100m backstroke 1.25.41, 1st 50m backstroke 37.81, 1st 50m breaststroke 44.68. 2nd: Isla Forbes (W) 1st 100m freestyle 1.21.22, 1st 50m freestyle 35.55, 3rd 100m backstroke 1.36.84, 2nd 50m backstroke 42.22. 3rd=: Danielle Pope (O) 2nd 100m breaststroke 1.40.04, 3rd 50m breaststroke 47.17. 3rd=: Amy Goldthorpe (A) 3rd 100m breaststroke 1.44.06, 2nd 50m breaststroke 46.55

Also: Libby Halligan (K) 2nd 100m freestyle 1.23.17. Tori McRae (O) 3rd 100m freestyle 1.26.74. Portia Barcello (A) 2nd 50m freestyle 35.76, 2nd 100m backstroke 1.35.07. Fiona Wratt (O) 3rd 50m backstroke 44.08.

Under 16

Champion: Sally McMath (A) 1st 100m freestyle 1.08.93, 3rd open 4x50m Medley 2.48.18, 2nd 50m freestyle 31.90, 1st 100m backstroke 1.16.78, 2nd open 200m freestyle 2.43.03, 1st 50m backstroke 36.44, 3rd open 100m Fly 1.21.36, 1st 50m breaststroke 42.04. 2nd: Margot Martin-Babin (W) 3rd 100m freestyle 1.12.14, 1st 100m breaststroke 1.33.74, 3rd 50m freestyle 33.09, 2nd 100m backstroke 1.28.38, 3rd open 200m freestyle 2.45.64, 2nd 50m backstroke 41.58, 2nd 50m breaststroke 42.48.

Also: Lydia Mossman (A) 2nd 100m freestyle 1.10.21, 1st 50m freestyle 30.76

Megan Shearer(K) 3rd 50m backstroke 53.50

Lotte Kraun(K) 3rd 50m breaststroke 51.30

Under 15

Champion: Sara Gane (O) 1st 100m freestyle 1.06.18, 1st 100m breaststroke 1.15.81, 1st open 4x50m Medley 2.35.17, 1st 50m freestyle 29.98, 1st 100m backstroke 1.17.33, 1st 100m backstroke 1.20.73, 1st open 200m freestyle 2.25.92, 1st 50m backstroke 36.90, 1st open 100m Fly 1.15.02, 1st 50m breaststroke 36.02. 2nd: Georgia Woodhouse (O) 2nd 100m freestyle 1.15.70, 2nd 100m breaststroke 2.11.98, 2nd 50m freestyle34.58, 3rd 100m backstroke 1.31.26, 2nd 50m backstroke 39.69, 3rd 50m breaststroke 48.26.

3rd: Brittney Lyons (A) 3rd 100m freestyle 1.15.77, 3rd 50m backstroke 44.41. 2nd 50m breaststroke 47.40

Also: Shannon Wiffen (W) 3rd 50m freestyle 35.22

Under 14

Champion: Oriana Houra (O) 1st 100m breaststroke 1.30.26, 2nd open 4x50m Medley 2.43.44, 2nd 50m freestyle 32.29, 1st 50m backstroke 39.10, 2nd open 100m Fly 1.15.10, 1st 50m breaststroke 40.99. 2nd: Annaliese Raemaki (W) 1st 100m freestyle 1.10.93, 2nd 100m breaststroke 1.33.04, 1st 50m freestyle 32.14, 3rd 100m backstroke 1.27.56, 3rd 50m backstroke 40.54, 2nd 50m breaststroke 44.18. 3rd: Emma Gardiner (K) 2nd 100m freestyle 1.15.50, 3rd 50m freestyle 35.66, 2nd 100m backstroke 1.26.12.

Also: Liv Bishop (W) 3rd 100m freestyle 1.24.82, 2nd 50m backstroke 39.64, 3rd 50m breaststroke 45.82

Francesca McCulloch (W) 3rd 100m breaststroke 1.45.61

Special Olympics events

25m Freestyle - 1st Jennifer Healy (W) 2nd Laura Boyd (A) 3rd Skye Vevers (W) 4th Emily Witchalls (W). 25m Kickboard - 1st Jennifer Healy (W) 2nd Laura Boyd (A) 3rd Skye Vevers (W) 4th Emily Witchalls (W).

New records

Sally McMath: U16 100m freestyle, U16 100m backstroke, U16 50m backstroke, U16 50m breaststroke

Sara Gane: U15 100m freestyle, U15 100m breaststroke, U15 50m freestyle, U15 100m backstroke, U15 50m breaststroke

Margot Martin-Babin: U16 100m breaststroke

Annaliese Raemaki: U14 50m freestyle

House points

1st Awatere 494 pts

2nd Wairau 406 pts

3rd Opawa 370 pts

4th Kaituna 356 pts

- © Fairfax NZ News

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