An incredible four days of racing came to a close yesterday at the 2026 New Zealand Secondary School Swimming Championships, held at Auckland’s Sir Owen Glenn National Aquatic Centre. Pinehurst Schools team of 19 swimmers, once again proved that we punch well above our weight, finishing an outstanding 4th overall in the school standings and bringing home an impressive 26 medals, including 2 Gold, 8 Silver and 16 Bronze.
- Shawn Li: Gold – 50m Breaststroke, 100m Breaststroke. Bronze – 4x100m Freestyle Relay
- Osbert Gu: Silver – 100m Backstroke, 4x50m Freestyle Mixed Relay. Bronze – 50m Backstroke, 200m IM, 200m Backstroke, 4x50m Medley Mixed Relay
- Lucas Wang: Silver – 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke. Bronze – 50m Breaststroke, 100m Breaststroke, 100m IM, 400m Freestyle, 4x100m Freestyle Relay
- Arissa Liu: Silver – 4x50m Freestyle Mixed Relay. Bronze – 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke and 4x50m Medley Relay
- Eddie Li: Bronze – 200m Breaststroke
- Samantha Simpson-Foster: Silver – 4x50m Freestyle Mixed Relay. Bronze – 4x50m Medley Mixed Relay
- Runxiang Wang: Silver – 4x50m Freestyle Mixed Relay. Bronze – 4x50m Medley Mixed Relay
- Brayden Zhao: Bronze – 4x100m Freestyle
- Anthony Pan: Bronze – 4x100m Freestyle
But the success story goes well beyond the medal tally. Across the four days, our 19 swimmers achieved numerous personal bests, showed tremendous determination in the pool, and demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship. The team spirit on the side of the pool was exceptional, with swimmers constantly encouraging and supporting one another, creating a fantastic atmosphere throughout the championship.
To finish 4th in New Zealand is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the hard work, commitment and resilience of our swimmers. We are incredibly proud of the way our students represented Pinehurst, both in and out of the water.
Congratulations to all involved on a fantastic championship!
