This is part of a series about Comox Valley student athletes who are moving onto the next level in their sport.
During her freshman year with the University of Akron women’s swim team, Brooke Lamoureux set school records in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 metre (mile) freestyle events. A teammate broke her 500 record, but the 19-year-old, Comox Valley-raised Lamoureux earned NCAA B standard in the mile. Achieving an A standard qualifies an athlete for the NCAA Championships, while B standard is used to select the rest of the field for the national competition.
Swim team coach Brian Peresie says Lamoureux helped the team win a fifth consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) title, and contributed to the team’s ranking of 32nd best program in the NCAA Division I.
“Brooke is an exceptional person and her teammates love her,” Peresie said. “She made a huge impact her freshman year. Brooke is always looking for ways to get better and help her teammates improve as well. She had some adversity this past year and I am proud of how she handled herself. She is someone to keep an eye on as I believe you will see her climbing the ranks in the swimming world very soon.”
Earning her first NCAA was a “great accomplishment,” Peresie added.
“I believe she has the potential to qualify for the NCAA Championship in 2019.”
Lamoureux is a graduate of Mark Isfeld Secondary in Courtenay. She spent her Grade 12 year in Victoria, where she could focus on training while taking courses online.
She holds several records for her home club, the Comox Valley Sharks.
“I was fortunate enough to have many coaches throughout my upbringing as an age grouper, which helped me to see what kind of coach I worked best with,” Lamoureux said. “I have to give a special shoutout to Kris Bell, my most recent coach since leaving the Sharks after my Grade 11 year of high school. He really helped me progress and look at the bigger picture of swimming.”
She hopes her club records are eventually broken by up-and-coming swimmers.
“It’s always good to see the little girls who look up to you break your records because it gives them a confidence boost.”
After her first year in Ohio, Lamoureux returned to Victoria to train with national team members to prepare for the Canadian championships in Edmonton July 18-22. She leaves Saturday for an eight-day training camp in San Diego, then flies to Alberta.
“It’s inspiring seeing one of my best friends, Mackenzie Padington, who is a national team member, get so fast over the past two years,” Lamoureux said. “When we were little kids, I was always the one beating her, and now the tables have turned. It’s a healthy competition, and I love training by her side everyday twice a day.”
Last year, Lamoureux won a silver medal in the 1,500m freestyle at the Team Canada world trials in Windsor, Ont. While the Olympics are a long-term goal, she is determined this year to win a MAC title in either the 500 or mile freestyle.