Ashley swims away with national title | Taranaki Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Taranaki

Ashley Rupapera had extraordinary success at the Bay of Plenty Short Course Winter Swimming Championships. The Mountain Motors Flyers Swim Squad and Stratford club member was in top form last weekend, bringing home 12 gold medals.

Held at the new Baywave 25m, 10-lane pool in Mt Maunganui, Ashley's tremendous success was added to when she was named 'Swimmer of the Meet'.

She broke a national record for the 100m individual medley, with a time of 1.06.70, beating the previous record of 1.07.00 set by Sally Green of Wellington in 2003.

As well as a national record, Ashley broke five Taranaki records - three of the records were previously hers. They were the 50m backstroke (new time 32.00, previous 32.27), 100m medley (time 1.06.70, previous 1.10.06) and 200m breaststroke (time 2.37.57, previous 2.42.33).

At the meet, Ashley celebrated her 14th birthday and broke two records in her new age group: the 50m breaststroke with a new time of 33.12 (previously held by Shanon Corkill of Opunake with 35.59 in 2005) and the 50m freestyle with a new time of 27.10sec (previously held by Bell Block's Jade Shearstone with 28.22sec in 2002).

Ashley won gold in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, 50m and 200m backstroke, 50m and 100m butterfly, 100m, 200m and 400m medley and the 50m and 100m freestyle.