Milana Tapper & Multi-Class Swimmers Impress on Day Four
- dale493
- May 25
- 6 min read
Day Four Wrap - 2025 Apollo Projects NZ Swimming Championships
19-year-old Milana Tapper (St Peter's) has stolen the show with a powerful swim on the penultimate day of the 2025 Apollo Projects New Zealand Swimming Championships in Auckland.
Competing in the 200m freestyle, Tapper started strong and stayed close to Olympian Erika Fairweather (North Shore), with the pool erupting in cheers as the pair both finished under the qualification time for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships.
Tapper was ecstatic with her performance after the race.
“It was actually a bit of a battle, I took it out harder than I normally would. I knew I needed to go hard early and put my foot down, and then just hold on for that last hundred. I’m just so grateful for that result and I can’t believe I made the time.”
Fairweather finished first in 1:56.56s, with Tapper just behind in 1:57.95s to qualify for her first long course world championships. Caitlin Deans (Neptune & Swim Dunedin) placed third.
Milana’s younger sister Alyssa Tapper (St Peter's) placed first in the 17-18 years age group in 2:02.58s, Brooke Bennett (Jasi) came second and Hanna Abdou (Wharenui) third.
In the men’s 200m freestyle, teenager Kevin Zhang (Roskill) was a cut above, leading the race from the start and pacing his race well to touch the wall in 1:50.69s and win his first open national title. Louis Clark (North Shore) was second and James Leigh (Coast) third.
Zhang’s time also saw him win the 17-18 years age group, ahead of Leigh in second and Fraser Walker (United) third.
Three-time Paralympic champion Cameron Leslie (Whangarei - S4) produced a beautiful swim, to go more than ten seconds under the World Para Swimming Championships qualification time in the 100m freestyle.
Leslie powered across the pool, clocking a fast time of 1:26.03s to place second in the multi-class event. Daniel Smith (Pukekohe) took the win in 55.65s in an S19 New Zealand record time, followed by Ian Chen (St Paul's - S19) in 59.84s for third.
The men’s 50m breaststroke multi class final was another great race which saw two New Zealand records broken. Daniel Smith was on a mission, placing first in an SB19 national record time of 31.64s. Commonwealth Games champion Joshua Wilmer (Coast - SB8) placed second in 33.67s, while Asher Smith-Franklin (North Shore) broke his SB14 national record to finish with 32.48s for third place.
In the women’s 100m freestyle multi-class final, Gaby Smith (Vikings - S10) added another title to her name, touching the wall in 1:05.92s. Lili-Fox Mason (Wharenui - S10) placed second and Rylee Sayer (Matamata - S7) third.
Charlotte Murphy (Aquagym - SB6) took the national title in the women’s 50m breaststroke multi-class final. The Canterbury swimmer powered home in 1:03.66s, ahead of Melissa Donoghue (Hamilton Aquatics - SB18) who placed second in 1:11.50s.
Monique Wieruszowski (North Shore) made it a clean sweep in the breaststroke, winning the 100m title to go alongside the 50m and 200m titles she won earlier in the meet. The 17-year-old was tested, with Zyleika Pratt-Smith (Coast) hot on her tail, but Wieruszowski pulled ahead in the last 25m to claim the win in 1:09.68s - again swimming under the time required for the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships which she had achieved in the heats. Pratt-Smith placed second and Melissa Cowen (North Shore) third.
Wieruszowski was pleased with her breaststroke sweep of national titles.
“I’m really happy with those results. It’s been a great week for me and it’s great that I’ve widened my range.”
Wieruszowski took the win in the 17-18 years age group followed by Jasmine Lyles (Phoenix Aquatics in second and Jessica Cochran (Pukekohe) in third.
Hara Hughes (Coast) finished his strong meet with another title to make it a clean sweep in the breaststroke, winning the men’s 100m discipline in 1:02.81s. Cook Islands representative Jacob Story (Mt Eden) took the visitor second, with Joseph Reiher (Porirua City Aquatics) winning the silver, and Blair Helms (North Shore) the bronze.
In the 17-18 years age group, Story took the visitor first place, Joseph Reiher took Kiwi gold, Nicholas Cowen (North Shore) the Kiwi silver, and Benson Li (North Shore) the Kiwi bronze.
17-year-old Daniel Kregting (Roskill) again hit the qualification time for the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in the men’s 200m butterfly. The 17-year-old flew home in 2.02.55s to finish well ahead of the pack and earn his first open national title. Blair Helms was just over two-seconds behind to place second, with Curtis Mellsop (Nga Tai Tuatea a Taraika) third.
Kregting’s time also saw him take the win in the 17-18 years age group, visitor Enzo Kernivinen (Tahiti) took second place, with Jack Love (Blenheim) taking the Kiwi silver, and Eric Yuan (Porirua City Aquatics) the Kiwi bronze.
In the women’s 200m butterfly, race favourite Neve Tassicker (Nga Tai Tuatea a Taraika) lived up to expectations to win the national title. 17-year-old Xanthe Miller (United) stuck with her for the first 100m but had to settle for silver as Tassicker took the win in 2:15.44s, with Ariella Riley (Hamilton Aquatics & RPC Waikato) in third.
In the 17-18 years age group Miller’s impressive time of 2:17.03s saw her place first, Chloe Peters (Hamilton Aquatics & RPC Waikato) took second and Evie Skidmore (Trojans) third.
The evening finished with the mixed 4 x 100m medley relay. The Coast A team earned bragging rights as they finished in 3:52.13s for the win ahead of North Shore and Coast B team.
Other notable performances during the day included Grayson Coulter (North Shore) breaking his 13 years New Zealand age record in the 200m freestyle twice in the day (1:54.59s and 1:53.67s), with the evening swim placing his eighth in the A final, Michael Yang (Phoenix Aquatics - 1:06.54s) breaking his 13 years New Zealand age record in the 100m breaststroke, Charlotte Rozen (Wharenui - 1:05.30s) breaking the SB18 New Zealand record in the 50m breaststroke multi-class and Chloe Gladwin (Whakatane - 2:54.23s) breaking her S19 New Zealand record during the heats.
Day five is the final day of the championships. Olympians Eve Thomas (Coast) and Caitlin Deans will again battle it out, this time in the 1500m Freestyle distance event. Commonwealth Games champion Andrew Jeffcoat (United) will also make a return to the pool, competing in the 50m backstroke after taking a step back from the sport last year. Asher Smith-Franklin will also be attempting to make the World Para Swimming Championship team in his favoured 200m individual medley multi-class event.
The evening will conclude with the naming of the Swimming New Zealand teams for the 2025 World Aquatics Championship, the 2025 World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships, the 2025 World Virtus Swimming Championships and 2025 National Development team.
Day Five Preview - Sunday 25 May
The final day of racing promises more thrilling battles, with Aquablacks, emerging young talent and relay rivalries set to close out the championships. The list of events in order are:
200m individual medley
200m individual medley multi-class
50m backstroke
50m freestyle multi-class
Women's 1500m freestyle
Men's 800m freestyle
4 x 100m medley relay
Gina McCarthy and Sam Brown head into the 200m individual medley as the fastest seeds, whilst Aquablack Gaby Smith and Asher Smith-Franklin do for the multi-class event.
The group of developing backstroke girls resume their battle across the shortest distance, with Amber George having recently achieved the qualifying time for Singapore. Experienced Aquablacks in Laura Quilter and Hazel Ouwehand will be in the mix with Savannah-Eve Martin, Isabelle Gibson and Milan Glintmeyer.
Aquablack and Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Andrew Jeffcoat (United) returns to the national championships as the one to beat ahead of Zac Dell, Cooper Morley and Aquablack Cameron Gray in the men's 50m backstroke.
Rylee Sayer and former World Record holder Cameron Leslie will be the ones to watch in the deep fields of the 50m freestyle multi-class.
Eve Thomas and Caitlin Deans are set for a close race after both have already achieved the qualifying time for Singapore in the 1500m freestyle.
Louis Clark and Larn Hamblyn-Ough are set to resume their long distance battles in the 800m freestyle.
Coast and North Shore will be battling for the final relay bragging rights to round out the championships on Sunday evening, this time in the 4 x 100m medley relays.
Key Details
Heats will be held from 9am each morning, with finals held in the evening from 6pm. Whilst there is no better place to watch the racing than live from in the grandstands, all sessions of the championships will be available live and free on the Swimming NZ YouTube channel.
Dates: 21 - 25 May
Location: Sir Owen G Glenn National Aquatic Centre
Heats Start: 8.55am (livestream), 9am (racing)
Finals Start: 5.50pm (livestream), 6pm (racing)
Alongside the championships, the 2024 Swimming NZ Awards will be presented during the finals sessions from Thursday to Sunday. These awards will recognise outstanding achievements and service to the sport during the 2024 calendar year.
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