The Comox Valley Aquatic Club Sharks posted some awesome results at the Campbell River Killer Whales Eliminator swim meet this past weekend.
"I really enjoyed seeing our developing squads supporting this meet and having them see some of their senior counterparts provide an excellent example of how to do it right," offered head coach Albert Burgund.
The youngest competitor was seven-year-old Laine Perry who swam a strong 50 backstroke. Her brother Rafe (8) was the youngest boy and he showed everyone how determination brings about success, taking five gold and a silver.
Nine-year-olds Shayna Jewitt, Ava Kendrick and Quinn Webber showed talent and promise with some super swims. Of note were some double-digit improvements: Shayna dropped 10.63 seconds in her 50 breaststroke and Quinn cut 12.61 seconds from his 100 free time. Quinn added a silver to the team medal count.
Janaya Ryan (10) following in her sister’s footsteps racked up two gold, one silver and three bronze while newcomer Delwyn Marcoux (10) notched five personal bests. Eleven-year-olds Nathan Miller and Hannah Cottingham both swam 100 per cent best times. "What a great meet for all these young swimmers!" said Burgund.
From the Angel Shark squad, rising star Aidan Webber took an impressive 13.24 seconds off his 50 back on the way to collecting four gold, one silver and one bronze. Connor O'Hara and Brendan Sharp swam 100 per cent best times while Alexey Komarov-Shute added some hardware with one gold, four silver and a bronze. Geoffrey Hynds showed he's on his way with three personal bests, a gold in the 100 fly (a gutsy swim), and a silver in the 400 free.
The senior swimmers did not relent. They were on a mission despite only swimming a few events. Amelia Elder, looking for some AAA times, swam to 100 per cent personal best times – improving her placing for the upcoming AA Championships in Surrey.
Ben Neufeld won the boys 50 free eliminator and made the Western Canadian standard in the 50 back. His medal haul included three gold – one for every event he swam. Brooke Lamoureux won the 50 free eliminator for women, made the Western Canadian standard in the 50 free, and took home four gold.
Jordyn Ryan completed the show with spectacular eliminator races in both the 50 free and the 200 IM. She swam two Age Group National standards (200 free, 200 IM) and added four gold, one silver and two bronze to round out a solid weekend of racing.
Watch online at www.swimming.ca as Ben, Brooke, and Jordyn swim as part of the Predators team at the Western Canadian Championships in Saskatoon, Feb. 14-17.
"The Sharks extend their gratitude to the many supporters here in the Comox Valley. For full results or information about our team, check out our web site: http://www.sharks.bc.ca/," a spokesperson said.
– Comox Valley Aquatic Club Sharks