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Comox Valley Blue Devils show well at Vancouver Island Regional Swimming Championships

The Comox Valley Blue Devils swim club had a successful weekend in Nanaimo Aug. 2-4, competing at the Vancouver Island Regional Championships.
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The Comox Valley Blue Devils swim club had a successful weekend in Nanaimo Aug. 2-4, competing at the Vancouver Island Regional Championships.

The Devils had 24 swimmers compete and 13 qualified for the provincial meet in Kamloops, Aug. 16-18. Coaches Sam Gauthier and Kyla DeWitt were excited to see so many swimmers receive personal bests.

“Our swimmers train hard at practice and their dedication is clear when we see results like we did this weekend,” says Gauthier.

Notable swims include Abby McDowell’s 50m freestyle, where she swam a 27.96, breaking the meet record and placing her first in the region. Cohen Moldenhauer also impressed his coaches by medaling in three out of his four races. Benjamin Galik, one of the younger swimmers to compete, placed top three in all of his races and made the provincial qualifying time in his 50m backstroke.

Swimmers train together all summer and Gauthier and DeWitt stress the importance of team spirit, especially at high-stakes competitions like regionals.

“The excitement and team spirit that filled the pool deck was awesome to see; it brought a great energy that led to many great swims,” says DeWitt.

The Devils are looking forward to provincials and the opportunity to race against the rest of the province.